Maternal Error Processor
by AkaneRules
Summary: The Major is not known for any sort of motherly instinct, however, she must learn how to get along with a mysterious young newcomer.
1. Chapter 1

The local grocery store in west Tokyo opens up early today. The cashiers are standing in their positions at the registers while smiling like plastic dolls. Customers are already entering the store since they have been waiting all morning to enter. Everything is just fine…too fine so it seems.

The automatic doors open and close, welcoming each customer inside but these newer customers were unlike the others. A tall, slender woman in a white button shirt leads a group of men into the grocery store. Her navy blue pencil skirt moves with the motions of her hips and thighs. She strides with great confidence and sex appeal as she walks to one of the cashiers.

"Mind telling me where they are?" The woman asks with a smile. She tilts her head ever so slightly, causing her violet locks to sway.

"A-Aisle 4, ma'am…but it may have moved to aisle 5…" The young male cashier responds nervously with his twitching grin.

"Thanks." She turns and walks to aisle 5. Her crimson eyes scan the area with precision. The men who are with her split up and are casually looking through the other aisles and frozen food sections.

One of the men catches up to this woman. As she is looking at one of the canned goods she hears, "Major…look at this…" Major Motoko Kusanagi looks to her left and sees her fellow companion Batou, a big burly cyborg with round prosthetic eyes and a face anyone can remember.

He gives a big goofy grin as he holds up a can of baked beans asking with a pun, "How you bean?"

Major shoots him an unamused glare before looking at one of the random items in front of her.

"C'mon, that was funny." Batou chuckles while putting the can back in its place. He turns to look at her once again but his grin fades as he warns a bit quietly, "Major…"The Major looks to her right and sees an elderly lady, pushing a stroller down the aisle.

 _[I got this…]_ Major states through their cyber brain communications. Batou gives a single nod and leaves in the opposite direction but is sure to stay nearby.

"Hello young lady." The old woman greets with a wrinkling smile and cracking voice, "Nice morning isn't it?"

"It sure is." Major replies politely, "How are you?"

"Oh, I've been better…I'm not any younger than yesterday." The woman almost cackles. She abruptly changes the subject asking, "Would you like to see my granddaughter? She's such a doll." She pulls back the hood of the stroller and reveals an infant child. Its eyes open at the sensation of sudden light and it turns its head about in every direction.

"Sorry, ma'am…" Major says as she reaches for her purse and smiles, "I don't like babies."

The old woman's face shifts to a more sinister look and the baby begins to cry. When the cry was turning into a wail, its face opens up, revealing an iron endoskeleton with a large bright red light blinking and beeping in the center. The Major rapidly pulls out her gun and fires it directly into the blinking light, destroying the baby-bot's head within seconds. The old woman runs off and before she could turn into the other aisle, the Major shoots her in the right leg.

 _[I want this place on lockdown!]_ Major cyber comms the cashiers through their computers.

The cashiers simultaneously pull the levers found underneath each countertop. It activates the store's lockdown mode in which nothing can get in or out without the use of explosives. All doors and windows are being sealed with reinforced steel and whoever attempts to break out is automatically considered an enemy.

 _[Borma, the old woman is wounded and is near your position. Batou, I need you to take down the big guy in the fruit's section.]_ Major orders, _[I'll go after the younger woman in the frozen food aisle. Togusa, I sense someone heading towards one of the doors. Take them down.]_

 _[Roger!]_ The three men respond.

Batou first finds his target. His target is a man of similar build and wears black sunglasses despite being indoors in a casually lit area. His sunglasses definitely give away the fact that he is not some regular customer. Batou pulls out his trusty FN Browning BDA pistol and aims it at the suspect. The man takes notice and makes a run for it as Batou fire his gun. The man is faster than what the ex-militant expected so he ended up shooting some watermelons in his place. Batou curses to himself for missing but he promptly goes after his target.

Borma easily takes down the old woman and instead of completely destroying her; he shuts her down and throws her now motionless body over his shoulder. He informs Major, _[I've got the old lady.]_

 _[Good. Hold your position until all the androids have been brought down.]_ She replies before cutting their connection. She then makes it to her own target and has her Seburo M5 in hand. The female suspect wearing a French maid-like outfit turns to look at the Major and aims her arm at her. Her arm opens up, turning into a canon, and begins to charge. Major quickly evades the beam of ammunition shooting out of it and runs toward the target. The two machines fought hand-to-hand since charging up the canon once more would take too long for the android. Kusanagi trips her opponent with a quick motion of her strong legs and the android falls back. She attempts to aim her canon again but is suddenly shot execution style by the cyborg.

Togusa waits near one of the exit doors. He does not pull out his Mateba 2008M so he would not look suspicious and startle whatever was coming to his position. He looks around but does not see anyone nearby. He feels rather frustrated and begins to think that Major may have been pulling his leg as she sometimes does. Right when such thoughts came to mind, he sees someone peeking at him from a nearby aisle and he grows alert. Whoever it is, they start running. He follows the sound and runs after it.

He finds himself in the back of the store where groceries from all around Japan are imported. He continues to hear the rapid footsteps but they always seem to be 10 steps ahead of him. He decides to stop and listen. Togusa looks around and finally catches up to the suspect. He aims his Mateba at a large open air vent that is located on one of the walls near the floor. To his astonishment, he sees a brown hooded girl inside with long blue hair and grey eyes. She reminds him of his own daughter who looks around the same age. The mysterious girl begins slowly shaking her head before crawling through the air vent passage. Togusa lowers his weapon and stares at the vent. He does not know what to do and is not sure if he even wants to go after the young girl; she looks too innocent to be a destructive device.

 _[Major...my suspect got away...]_ Togusa informs hesitantly.

 _[What?]_ Her response sounds sharp and cold like a dagger. She normally would scold him for something like this but she did not want to waste her breath. _[Meet us back outside.]_

 _[Roger.]_ Togusa looks at the vent once again before leaving the area.

The team meet up outside in front of the store. Borma carries and places the old woman android inside the back of a Tachikoma, a large blue spider-like think tank. He then returns indoors to help bring out the maid lady. Batou is practically dragging the man he took down due to how heavy the body is. Major arrives with the damaged babybot and carelessly tosses it on the ground in front of her.

Togusa sees this and practically shudders, "Do you really have to toss it?..."

"It was a bomb, not a baby." Major replies before furrowing her brows, "Your target could have easily been a bomb. Which way did it go?"

"She escaped through one of the air vents in the back of the store."

"'She'?"

"Yeah. She looked like a young girl...perhaps around the age of my daughter..."

"You let her go." Major concludes.

"She didn't look like the others! She seemed...human."

"I'll be the judge of that." Major turns to one of the tachikomas and says, "Let's search out back for this 'girl'."

"All right!" Tachikoma exclaims in its squeaky voice with excitement. Its pod doors open, allowing Major to enter inside. Once the doors close, the tachikoma begins to head south before going camouflage.

Batou pats Togusa's shoulder with a heavy hand teasing, "Looks like you're not getting paid today."

The tachikoma and Major are scouting the woods, scanning for any traces of this mysterious suspect. They find footprints in the mud that look too deep to be for that of a human. It is a perfect trail for them to follow.

"It's heading towards the city." Major says as she interprets the direction where the footprints lead, "Let's try to get there before It does."

"You got it!" The tachikoma drives past the trees and over rocks. The vehicle maneuvers with quick speed and precision. They make it to the perimeter of the city within five minutes before spotting the girl. Major ejects herself from the tachikoma and follows their suspect.

The two end up in a long alley way as Major shouts, "It's the police. Stop, or I'll be forced to take serious measures."

The girl stops and slowly turns to look at the sultry woman. There is fear in her eyes which is not an expression most androids would obtain. She slowly raises both of her hands up in submission but while doing so, her baggy sleeves roll down to her elbows, revealing her jointed hands and arm.

Major lowers her gun, she is rather shocked at the sight, "You're a full-prosthetic...first year."

The girl nods quietly.

"Where are your caretakers?" Major asks, putting away her gun and is now speaking in a somewhat gentler voice.

The girl gives a puzzled look and shakes her head.

The Major studies her for a moment before saying, "Come with me. You can help answer questions at HQ."

The child is hesitant and is not sure if she could trust this woman despite obviously being that of a public official. The girl soon steps up and follows.

Section 9 Headquarters is a large and impressive building. If it is possible to have any building in the world that could be the absolute landmark for advanced technology used in the field, it would be here. Currently, Major has taken this mysterious cyber girl into the interrogation room of the facility. Kusanagi, however, must wait outside with Batou. They watch through the double sided mirror as the girl answers questions for Chief Aramaki, who is the head of Section 9, and Togusa.

"Is she able to talk much?" Batou asks.

"Of course." Kusanagi replies to an obvious question but then clarifies, "However, she seems to have limited facial movement...that's usually the case for full-prosthetics in their first year anyway."

Batou nods, "How the hell did she end up in that mess back at the mission location?"

Kusanagi shrugs, "Only one way to find out."

Chief Aramaki finally exits the room and the other men gather round, ready to hear the new information. The old boss straightens his back and eyes everyone.

"She says her name is Leiko and that just a year ago, she and her parents were involved in a fatal car accident. She didn't say what specifically happened but in any case, she was the only survivor. Her caretakers officially adopted her just a few months ago but promptly went missing. There are already a few files on their disappearance and I will give copies out once they're on hand."

"Why was she at the grocery store?" Kusanagi asks as she looks at Leiko in the other room.

"Looking for food I presume." Aramaki responds, "She has been living on her own since her caretakers vanished...that's how Togusa found her in the ventilation."

Kusanagi gave a nod and was silent. She could not help but feel sorry for the girl even if she did not want to admit it.

"Now because she is on her own and with caretakers who may or may not be dead, she cannot stay at a foster home. We have no power to make that decision and since it is against company policy that we have children here at Section 9, she must go home with one of you...Major." Chief Aramaki looked directly at the woman.

Her eyes widen a bit, "You're kidding."

Batou is trying his best to hold back a laugh.

"No, I'm not kidding." Aramaki replies.

"It's because I'm a woman, is that it?" Kusanagi crosses her arms in disgust.

"That's only partially the case." He admits, "But I also know that you have enough space at your safehouse for another person. Also, why the hell would I send this girl off to stay with any of these problematic men?"

"I would think Togusa is the better option choice for this..."

"Togusa already has his hands full with two children." Chief Aramaki rebukes, "Now quit complaining and take responsibility; that's an order."

A part of the Major wants to strangle the chief but at the same time, she knows that she would not get paid if she does so. Togusa and Leiko finally exit the interrogation room and wait for someone to catch them up on the situation. Chief Aramaki waits for Major to make the announcement herself instead so she finally gives in.

"You're going to stay with me." Major sighs, "But only for a short period of time, got that?"

Leiko gives a silent nod and follows the woman to leave the building. The men are highly amused and snicker amongst themselves, curious to see if the Major could handle playing "Mother".


	2. Chapter 2

The Major is driving Leiko to her safe house which is just outside of the city. The only people she ever allows into her home territory are her girlfriends, occasional boyfriends, and the mailman. Batou is also allowed but only with special permission.

The Major looks in the rearview mirror at Leiko whom is silently looking out the car window. She decides to gather some more information from the girl.

"So Leiko, how old are you?" She wants to start out simple.

Leiko looks over at her driver and replies in a soft voice, "Twelve...but only one in my new body."

"Do you attend school?"

"I use to...but for now, I'm still in physical therapy..."

The Major takes note of this and plans to contact her physical therapist later, "Have many friends?"

"Yeah."

"Do they know that you're now a cyborg?"

"No…" Leiko grows a bit more quiet.

"Do you look the same as you did before the accident?"

No response. Kusanagi sighs. It's just as she suspects. This child is practically living life as a phantom especially now that she does not have her parents, caretakers, and is unrecognizable to any of her former friends. The only people that knows of her existence are her physical therapists. The self-driving navigation system pings in Kusanagi's view since they have made it to their destination.

"We're here." The woman informs while exiting the vehicle.

Leiko unbuckles herself from the seat but struggles to grip the slick door handle. Since she is a first year cyborg, her whole body is covered with plastic polymer that is laminated to fit her pylon skeleton. Her head, however, is covered with silicon. Kusanagi notices her struggle and opens the door for her. Leiko looks up at the woman but then looks aside, as if she is ashamed of herself. She carefully steps out of the car and walks a few feet towards the house. Kusanagi locks the car and walks past the girl to lead the way.

The Major opens the front door and allows Leiko to enter first. The main room is the living room area and its exterior wall is actually a large window that looks out unto the distant city. Kusanagi removes her coat and hangs it on the rack.

"Take a seat." She offers but it naturally comes out as a command.

Leiko nods and takes a seat on one side of the dark blue three-sided couch. She looks all around at her surroundings but then focuses on the Major whom is now standing in front of her with crossed arms.

"Now that you're in my house, we're going to go over some ground rules. Alright?" The Major begins.

Leiko nods in response.

"There is one master bedroom, two guest rooms, four bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a lab, and three extra rooms. You have access to five of them." She explained, "You will have your own room and bathroom and will be able to access this room, the dining room, and kitchen. Everything else is off limits unless I say otherwise. Understand?"

Leiko nods again.

"If I catch you snooping around in prohibited areas, I'll throw you into the dungeon."

Leiko is surprised by the comment.

"That was a joke. I don't have a dungeon." Kusanagi reassures but raises a slight brow, "Well...sort of. But I won't throw you in there. However, I will be upset if you go against protocol."

Leiko looks down and seems somewhat overwhelmed.

Kusanagi walks around the couch and enters the kitchen that is on an elevated platform next to the living room.

"You hungry? We did find you in a grocery store afterall. What would you like?"

Leiko shrugs. Frankly, she hates cyborg food even though she has to live with it for the rest of her life which is depressing. Cyborg food is overly processed minerals condensed to look like normal human food but disappoints the consumer the moment it touches their lips. The only reason why any cyborg needs to eat is because it provides energy when there is no time to power down or link up to a restoration station.

All of a sudden, the girl feels a light object bump her shoulder. She looks down next to her and sees a packaged sandwich on the cushion. Kusanagi had thrown it at her. Leiko looks at it but is hesitant to try it.

"This is the good brand." Kusanagi reassures as she sits on the couch perpendicular to Leiko. She too has gotten herself a sandwich, "It's pricier but worth the cost. It tastes like actual food and I'm usually picky on how my food tastes."

Leiko removes the seal and sniffs the sandwich. It certainly smells like a real sandwich. She brings it to her mouth and takes a decent chunk out of it.

After a few seconds of chewing it in her mouth and swallowing it, she comments in awe, "It's yummy."

Kusanagi almost chuckles and nods before eating her own. To her surprise, Leiko practically scarfs down her food. It seems like the girl had not eaten any proper meal in days or even weeks.

Before Kusanagi could offer Leiko anymore, there was a knock at the front door. The Major answers it and standing outside is her girlfriend, Kurutan.

"Hi Kusa!" The female greets her partner with a kiss to the cheek, "Miss me?"

"Yes but today's not a good day." Kusanagi replies.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Kurutan pouts, "Those Section 9 boys haven't been causing you any trouble, have they?"

"It's nothing like that."

Kurutan invites herself inside and stops when she sees Leiko.

"Kurutan, this is Leiko."

Leiko twists herself to look back and over at the guest before giving a slight nod of greeting.

"She looks kinda young…" Kurutan whispers in concern to Kusanagi.

"That's because she _is_ young and she will be staying here temporarily...I'm just taking orders from the Chief."

Leiko looks aside and returns to her normal sitting position.

"Oh okay." Kurutan nods and then giggles, "I thought you had brought another 'lady friend' back home with you."

"You know I would always inform you if I do." Kusanagi walks with her back over to the couch.

Kurutan sits a foot apart from Leiko and properly greets herself, "I'm Kurutan, Motoko's girlfriend. I come by here every now and then so you can trust me. I am a nurse at the hospital downtown and I mainly operate on other cyborgs so if you have any internal ailments, I can help fix you right up!"

"Pleased to meet you," Leiko replies softly. She did not find it necessary to have her own name repeated.

 _[The reason why she's here is because her caretakers have gone missing.]_ Kusanagi informed Kurutan through their own set of cyber comms, _[She's very quiet and not very open about her feelings.]_

 _[Like you?]_ Kurutan gives Kusanagi a look. The young woman directs her attention back towards the youngling and says, "Since you're staying here for a while, you're going to need some new clothes. The shops are closing up soon but would you like to go shopping with me tomorrow? It'll be fun!"

Leiko looks up at her curiously and then over at Kusanagi, silently waiting for her approval.

"Go ahead. I'll be at work during that time." Kusanagi shrugs.

"It'll be fun, I promise!" Kurutan smiled. The woman's cheerful vibe is comforting and Leiko nods in acceptance. Kurutan then reaches into a large bag she had brought with her and says, "If you need something to sleep in tonight, I have an extra nightdown you could wear! It may be a bit large for you, but it will suffice."

She pulls out a white frilly nightgown with lace flower straps. She hands it over to Leiko who tries her best to hold the loose fabric between her fingers.

Kurutan smiled, "Ooh it's going to look so cute on you~ That white will definitely bring out your eyes! Where are you going to sleep?"

"She'll be upstairs in one of the guest rooms." Kusanagi stood, "C'mon, I'll show you to it."

Leiko nods and follows the violet haired woman while Kurutan trails behind. They walk up a flight of blue steps and enter a hallway consisting of three doors. They enter the room on the left and turn on the lights. There is minimal decoration yet it looks suitable enough.

"All the rooms are cyborg-friendly." Kusanagi explains, "There's a power station outlet next to the lamp on the dresser as well as a communication device. The device can be used to call a certain area of the house. For example, me. If you need me but I'm somewhere else in the house, you can give a mass call which contacts every room or, if you know where I am, you simply choose my location to call. You can also make calls for outside of the house but those will be monitored."

"I understand." Leiko confirms.

"Okay, now try on the gown!" Kurutan encourages impatiently.

Leiko nods but holds the gown against her. She's too shy to undress in front of them.

"The door to the bathroom is over there." Kusanagi gestures. Leiko immediately goes inside.

Minutes later, the girl slowly exits the bathroom and reveals her transformation into the nightgown. It is a bit large for her yet it did compliment her quite well. The only problem she has with it is that the top portion seemed to sag, almost revealing her chest, so Kusanagi walks over to her and turns the girl around. Leiko is curious as to what the Major plans to do yet she feels the straps being adjusted from behind. The top of the gown now no longer sagging and in fact, it seems to now fit her just right.

"You look very pretty~" Kurutan smiles as Kusanagi returns to her side.

"Thanks…" Leiko responds shyly while looking down at the new outfit.

"Now that it fits, you can go to sleep." Kusanagi concluded plainly, "I can help show you how to use the power station."

Leiko nods and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. Though she cannot really feel the bed's material itself, she could judge the pressure of it and tell that it was comfortable.

Kusanagi hands the girl the cord from the outlet and begins to instruct her on how to use the station. She explains that the device helps restore energy by automatically putting the cyborg body into sleep mode and waking it up whenever it is fully charged. Since the power station is connected to the home security system, it will wake up or "turn-on" the body in case it is shut down or in sleep mode during an emergency.

Right when Kusanagi is about to click the switch to power Leiko down, the girl stopped her.

"I can do it myself!" Leiko says a bit too quickly and almost frantically, "I like...um...to pray before I sleep…"

Kusanagi looks at the girl somewhat oddly but brushes off the comment; it was no place for her to judge though it seems quite random. The Major turns and begins to exit the room before concluding, "If you need us, we'll be in the master bedroom."

Kurutan waves "goodnight" and follows her partner out the door.

Once the door closes and they were out of sight, Leiko lies back against the pillows and sighs. She is not going to pray. That was a lie. She doesn't believe in prayer and nor does she believe in sleep. Her life is so out of control that she does not know who to trust or what to think anymore. She doesn't believe that anyone cares for her and it was obvious that the Major is only helping her because she was ordered to by her superior. This hurt her deeply and it was something a nurse like Kurutan could not fix.

In the master bedroom, Kurutan lays on top of her partner on the bed. She's looking down at her and fiddling with her short, straightened hair.

"Kusa, you need to learn how to be nicer to kids." Kurutan informs.

"Am I not being nice to Leiko?" Kusanagi asks as she looks up at her.

"You're kinda cold," Kurutan admits, "I mean...you may not really realize it, but you're treating the girl like she's one of your coworkers."

"How so?"

"Well, you know...ordering her around, speaking to her like she's an adult…"

"Now what's wrong with that?"

"She's a _kid_. She needs to be shown affection and care, not just 'do this' or 'do that'."

"I'm not authorized to grow attached to my contacts. I simply have to ensure her safety until it's time to take her home."

Kurutan looks disappointed so she rolls off of her partner and looks up at the ceiling, "She's a really sweet girl. I think you should give her a chance even if it won't last long. Perhaps you'll learn some things in the process."

Kusanagi sighs. She just wants to drop the topic, "Alright. I'll try."


	3. Chapter 3

Leiko hears commotion downstairs before hearing it gradually make its way towards her room. She sits up immediately and awaits the visitor. It was Kurutan. The woman smiles and walks in. She is already dressed and looks ready to go out.

"Good, you're awake!" Kurutan says in relief, "Sleep well?"

Leiko hesitates a nod.

"I'm glad. There's breakfast downstairs and whenever you're ready, we can shop!"

"Where's the Major?"

Kurutan pauses yet then informs, "She already left an hour ago or so for work..but now that you're here, she's allowed to come home early~"

 _Probably just a perk for having me around_ …. Leiko thinks to herself. Kurutan leaves the girl alone to let her dress into the clothes she had worn the day before.

The breakfast meal is small but it was enough to make up almost half of the energy Leiko needed in order to function for the day. She savors every last bite of the artificial rice and eggs before leaving with Kurutan to head into the city. It's a short 15-minute drive but it gives Leiko time to think and reflect. She's silent during the whole car ride so as a way to break the silence, Kurutan plays some music on the radio. Kusanagi had given her partner a list of shops and areas to avoid for their safety. She soon parks her car in the parking deck behind one of the stores.

"We're here! Time to have some fun~"

* * *

Back at Section 9, all the members are in the conference room getting ready to discuss the cases of the defected androids as well as Leiko's caretakers. Of course, the men were spending half the time teasing the Major.

"So Major...how does it feel to be a new mom?" Batou snickers.

"You seem more like the 'stay-at-home' type…" Ishikawa chuckles.

"Do you need to pick her up from soccer after this?" Pazu hops in. The men then collectively crack up at the comments. The Major crosses her arms and gives a look of disapproval.

"Enough!" Chief Aramaki tries to get their attention, "Save it for _after_ the meeting; we have very important business to discuss."

"Don't encourage them…" Major sighs.

"We'll begin with the weaponized androids. Thanks to our sanction, we have rid the city of over 200 units. However, that is not to say that they're all gone. The manufacturers release new ones every day for the military but 1 out of every 5 turn out defected and end up roaming the city. No one knows the cause or source of it but the only way to stop it from happening for now is to stop production completely. Obviously, corporate isn't willing to do that due to the risk of losing business."

"Well we can't just clean up the streets like this forever…" Saito comments.

"I know." Aramaki replies, "That is why I will speak to the heads of the company tomorrow...Now as for Leiko, this is what we know; When she was recovered from the fatal car accident just a year ago, she was sent to the local hospital and underwent surgery immediately. The only parts of her that are human are her brain, heart, and vocal cords. The doctors then went through her family tree to see who in Japan was a good choice to be her caretaker. Her childless aunt from her late mother's side of the family was the obvious choice but for whatever reason, she turned down the offer."

The Major looks a bit bothered by the new information about Leiko's aunt. Wouldn't someone of her own family take responsibility of their sister's daughter and take care of her?

Aramaki continues, "After months of searching for proper caretakers and putting her into one home after another, her physical therapists decided to take her in."

"Wait, so her caretakers _are_ her physical therapists as well?..." The Major clarified.

"Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Kotara. They seemed to have grown quiet close to her over the few months they spent assisting her so they stepped in and adopted her."

"I see…" She looks disappointed as she had hoped to gain more information if the two subjects were separate.

"The Kotara's disappeared about two months ago. Leiko said they had left the house one morning and didn't return. She said she spent the next few weeks in the house alone until she ran out of food and from there, she left."

"Why didn't she notify the police?" Batou asks.

"She didn't want to go into another foster home."

"How did the police find out the caretakers were missing?" Pazu then asks.

"The hospital took notice of their absence from work and notified the authorities."

Togusa sighs, his fatherly side showing, "Poor girl lived on her own for over a month...It's a miracle that she survived."

Aramaki adds, "It's a miracle that _we_ arrived and took out those androids before they had gotten to her. Apparently, they are very much attracted to full-prosthetic beings. A few technicians theorized that they prefer the more malleable materials of cyborgs so usually, they are their top targets."

* * *

New tops, new bottoms, new dresses, and new shoes; Kurutan buys them all for Leiko. The two ladies have plenty of bags in each hand as they walk down the busy street. Even though everyone was minding their own business, it was not uncommon for most humans to stare at the little jointed cyborg. Leiko could feel their stares burn against her body like laser beams and the feeling is not pleasant at all; She hates being different.

Kurutan notices the clear discomfort on Leiko's face so she announces quickly, "Hey look! Let's go to this shop over here! I hear they have lots of things for fun arts and crafts~"

Leiko perks up. She remembers that she likes to draw and paint. The two head inside and though the store is filled with an abundance of art supplies, there are not any customers. The owner greets them politely.

"Welcome to my shop...looking for anything in particular?" The owner is a middle aged brunette.

"Just looking. Unless, there's something you want?" Kurutan asks Leiko.

Leiko didn't do much talking during the whole shopping trip but when it comes to art, she gets vocal, "Do you have any paints?"

"Plenty!" The owner chuckles, "They are in the fourth aisle towards the back."

"Thanks." Leiko scuttles to the destination.

After just a few minutes of spending time in the shop, two tall men in black suits arrive. Both are wearing red and silver cyber visors. Kurutan looks quite intimidated by them yet she did not want to judge the strangers by their appearance. The shop owner briefly points back over towards Leiko and the men head over in her direction. Kurutan gasps, realizing that they must be after her, and tries to get to her first but is subsequently grabbed by the arm by one of the men.

"Let me go!" She struggles in his grasp before alerting the girl, "Leiko, run!"

Leiko hears the warning and immediately sprints towards the back of the room and through the door that leads to an alleyway.

 _[Motoko...two men are after us and-]_ Kurutan's cybercomm is suddenly cut. The man grabbing her has forced her cyberbrain to shut down by attaching some sort of trinket against her neck port. The man then drops the limp body and follows his associate out the back door of the shop.

Leiko is running down the alleyway, hoping over old storage boxes and knocked over trash cans. She tries to throw random objects she finds in their direction but they easily break through each item. Eventually, she reaches a tall iron fence that splits the alleyway between two blocks. She tries hitting it repeatedly but only causes a few minor dents. She feels one of the men grab her from behind and lifts her up into the air. She begins to kick and wriggle as much as she can in attempts to escape but her attempts are in vain. The other man puts a finger to his ear and looks like he is about to contact backup.

Suddenly, a voice out of the shadows calls, "Hands off, Creeps!"

The men turn around but the one trying to call someone is kicked in the face by some unseen force. Their visors switch to thermals and to their surprise, they are encountering a female assailant. She easily beats up and disables the wounded man with a few breaking blows to the head but now must face the one holding Leiko.

"Major, help!" Leiko cries yet is suddenly thrown into some nearby garbage cans. She is no longer moving.

"You bastard!" Major yells. Becoming visible, she dodges an attack by doing a quick front flip while countering it with a down kick. Her foot is pinning him down by the chest and she pulls out her seburo pistol. The man's face opens up and, like the android infant from the grocery store, his face has a single red blinking dot in the center of his endoskeleton skull. She begins shooting him repeatedly in the face even though she knows that he is no longer functioning after the first shot. A few empty clicks are heard and she realizes that she has gotten a little carried away as well as run out of bullets.

"Leiko…" She reminds herself. She runs over to the trashcans and inspects the girl. She's still alive but out cold. How can this be? First years _are_ more fragile than adults but can usually withstand high volumes of pressure. She remembers that she had looked into Leiko's energy log from the power station in the morning; it was almost empty since the girl did not use it. Being thrown and getting hit uses up energy as a way to absorb shock due to the lack of organic muscles and tendons. She carefully scoops the girl up and holds her protectively in her arms. She then contacts Batou, _[Do you have Kurutan?]_

 _[I'm on it.]_ He responds calmly. He enters the arts and crafts shop and sees Kurutan lying on the floor. The shop owner pulls out a Remington M870 Pump Shotgun from behind the counter. Batou quickly reacts by pulling out Section 9's standardized police stun gun and immobilizing the woman. She falls and begins to convulse on the floor. Batou pulls out the trinket from Kurutan's neck and she wakes up immediately.

She's startled at first and tries to hit Batou, but he blocks her attacks with a single arm reassuring, "Kurutan, it's me, Batou, Motoko's friend?"

"She's been through a lot of boyfriends! How do I know you're really one of them?" Kurutan rebukes, obviously still trying to collect herself.

"Wait...how many?"

The Major abruptly contacts him again, _[Batou! We'll meet at my safe house ASAP. Let the boys handle the shop owner and the droids in the back.]_

"Roger." He replies before finally getting Kurutan to calm down, "I'm here to get you to safety. Leeloo is with the Major now."

"It's Leiko." She corrects him sternly before taking a stand.

He chuckles, "I know, I was just seeing if you remembered."

The Major and Batou had returned to the safe house and are now in the living room. Kusanagi has connected the young girl to a power station and is currently feeding her body energy.

Kurutan frowns, "I'm so sorry, Kusa...I couldn't protect little Leiko…"

"Don't blame yourself." Kusanagi reassures, "You're just lucky that HQ is right down the street."

Kurutan nods and then asks, "Who were those men anyway?"

"Some rogue military androids," Batou explains, "Not sure about the shop owner, but the droids were after Leiko for her prosthetic body (at least we think so). We still don't know all the facts but shooting them up is all we can do for now."

Leiko begins to adults stop their conversations and watch silently. The girl's grey eyes slowly open and she looks around in a daze. Her vision adjusts and she sees the three of them staring down at her.

"Nurse?..." She says quietly.

"That's right." Kurutan smiles, thinking that she was talking about her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kotara?..."

The three of them look amongst each other in confusion but soon understand that she has probably briefly confused Kusanagi and Batou as her caretakers so they give her time to readjust to her surroundings.

As she grows more aware, she comments, "I feel much lighter."

"That's because you're charging your energy." Kusanagi responds, "Why didn't you power down last night?"

Leiko is silent but when she notices that the Major is giving her "the look" she answers, "I hate powering down."

"Why? It's good for you."

"I can't dream when I'm shut off." Leiko clarifies in a small voice, "I'm practically dead."

The look on the Major's face hardens as a way to mask her empathy; She understands what Leiko means completely and it somewhat saddens her to hear it from such a young girl.


	4. Chapter 4

A day passes since the incident and Chief Aramaki requests that the Major stays home from work. This is the first time he has ever suggested such an idea and it leaves the Major in discomfort. She admits to herself that she can be a workaholic even though she sometimes finds herself begging for a vacation. For now, she must take care of Leiko but thankfully, she would not have to do it alone...for now.

Leiko is sitting on the living room floors, flipping through an activity book as she is deciding what to do. She finds a coloring page that consists of a family of cats so she grabs a few crayons and places them beside her book. Kurutan watches with Kusanagi from a distance and she nudges her.

"You should go talk to her." Kurutan whispers to her girlfriend.

"What should I say?"

"Just ask her simple questions," She suggests before clarifying, "but don't interrogate her!"

Kusanagi sighs but goes over to the girl anyway. She sits down in front of her and looks down at the coloring book. She internally questions why she has a child in her house in general; It is something she is not used to at all.

She then attempts a conversation, "How are you?"

"Alright." Leiko responds without looking up; she's focused on holding a crayon properly in her hand.

"You like cats?"

"Yes."

Her answers are too short for Kusanagi and it makes her a bit uncomfortable; kids are suppose to be annoyingly talkative.

"Do you color often?"

"No."

"Then why did you choose to do so?"

Leiko looks up from the book and pauses. The last time she ever colored or painted something was before the accident. She then responds, "I wanted to try it."

"Fair enough."

Leiko takes an orange crayon and slowly presses the tip against the paper. She begins to drag it down but within seconds, a chunk of the tip breaks off. The now flat crayon displeases her so she sets it aside and tries the red crayon. She does the same thing and is able to drag it for a little longer, however, she accidentally breaks the tip once more. Leiko looks very frustrated and she rolls the crayon away. Kusanagi was watching the girl's tactics very closely and knew exactly what it's like to be in her shoes. She gets up and sits behind her while leaning over.

"Here." Kusanagi offers a helping hand. She takes a yellow crayon and places it between Leiko's smooth jointed fingers. She uses her own hand to gently adjust the girl's hand position. "The trick is to focus the energy in your wrist rather than your fingers…" She slowly guides the girl's hand about the interior of one of the outline cats and once she sees that Leiko is capable, she lets go.

The girl imitates the motions she just learned and within a few minutes, she successfully colors the cat. Her eyes widen and she is amazed that she is able to color it on he own. She looks up at Kusanagi and thanks her with a nod and light smile.

"Not bad...for a rookie." Kusanagi could not help but tease as she takes a stand.

Kurutan giggles and actually looks excited by simply watching the interaction. She has never seen her partner act so kindly towards a kid before and it is honestly quite attractive.

"Good job!" Kurutan quietly cheers.

Kusanagi playfully rolls her eyes yet stops when she hears a phone going off.

"Sorry, I need to take this." Kurutan removes the phone from her pocket and answers it, "Hello? No...uh huh...Oh-Very well. I'll be over there right away." She hangs up. "It's work; one of my regulars has come into town and I need to tend to them."

The Major looks somewhat serious; she is going to be left alone with Leiko. Who will help her help _Her?_

"Don't give me that look…" Kurutan pouts, "I'll be back tomorrow, okay? At least I'll try...I'm sure you can make it till then." She kisses her girlfriend's lower lip before brushing past her.

The door shuts and the only sounds filling the room were the colored wax sticks scraping against smooth paper. Kusanagi is unsure of what to do now so she returns to the girl. She sits in front of her once again and clears her throat.

"Okay kid, before you color anything else, we need to get you to recognize some faces." The woman announces.

Leiko looks curious and stops her coloring to listen.

"Your cyberbrain is able to easily store facial recognition data, yes?"

Leiko nods.

"Good. We'll go over some familiar faces." Kusanagi removes a tablet from her coffee table and opens up personal profiles of all the main members from Section 9. She lifts up a picture of herself and says, "I am Major Motoko Kusanagi, head of the Public Security Squad Section 9. This is my boss, Chief Aramaki."

"He looks like a monkey." Leiko accidentally comments aloud before quickly covering her mouth.

Kusanagi sits there, stunned, and for once, she almost breaks a laugh since the general consensus agrees with such a statement. She now understands that she should begin speaking to Leiko in a more relatable tone. She clears her throat and it comes out as a chuckle, "He certainly does…" Composing herself, she continues, "This is Batou, my right-hand man. I have my complete trust in him and you should too."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"What? N-...well, we did som-...it's complicated." She then quickly changes pictures, "This is Togusa. He's a family man and a total dork."

"Is he a dork because he has a family?"

"He's a dork for many reasons; his hair, his personality, his everything."

Leiko lightly giggles, finding his hair funny.

"This is Saito, the pirate-looking guy. Ishikawa, the bearded geek. Borma, the tallest. And Pazu, the guy who keeps to himself." She then adds, "Proto is the head technician of the tachikomas which are the blue think tanks that you've seen." For most children, such information would have flown by their heads but with Leiko, the information stuck. She is now able to recognize the names and faces of these individuals and will have no trouble remembering them. Kusanagi pulls out her phone and shows the girl a couple more common faces. After showing her everyone she says, "If you come across anyone who is someone you do not recognize, don't trust them, alright? At least not until you are told otherwise."

"Okay." Leiko replies obediently.

Kusanagi stands and then places a hand on her hip, "I need to make some phone calls in the office. Feel free to return to your activities. Just don't make a mess." She turns and begins to exit the room. Leiko quickly gathers up her crayons and activity book and follows the woman. Kusanagi stops and looks back at the girl, giving her an odd look. Leiko stops a few feet behind her and shyly looks down at her feet. The Major gestures with her head, letting the girl know that it is okay for her to follow her to the office.

The office is a small grey room full of desktop computers and filing cabinets. Compared to the rest of the house, it is quite dull. Kusanagi takes a seat at her rolling chair and boots up one of the computers. Leiko sits at the desk next to her and places her coloring book and crayons on the table. The woman logs into Section 9's main server and alerts her fellow co-workers that she is ready for a virtual conference. Normally, she would dive into a server with her enhanced cyberbrain but with Leiko nearby, it is best to be aware of her surroundings. The light to the webcam turns on and the Major is now visible to the staff. She then places a pair of wireless earbuds in her ears so Leiko did not have to listen to the small conference.

"Hello, boys. What all have I missed?" Her voice virtually echoes throughout the server. Each man begins to appear one by one in a circle in cyberspace.

"Why should we tell you? You're practically on vacation." Saito almost scoffs, obviously bitter that he has to work overtime.

The Major raises a brow and cocks her head, "I think your definition of 'vacation' is very different from mine…"

Batou then comments, "Off the record, that's a cute outfit you're wearing."

"Cute out-" She looks down and remembers that she's wearing a pale pink tank top with purple short shorts. She crosses her legs, "'Off the record', that's _in_ the record with witnesses."

"Got him." Ishikawa chuckles.

"Can I get a raise?" Pazu randomly asks.

The Major looks frustrated and says curtly, "Enough! Just because I am not at HQ, doesn't mean you all need to hassle me. No, I am not on vacation and Pazu, you need to take that up with Aramaki. Now can someone tell me what is going on before I send you all spyware?..."

Borma surprisingly steps up and informs, "The shop owner was interviewed earlier this morning and it turns out that she was actually hacked by the androids who entered the store. The data recovered from the reverse-hacking indicated that the androids were specifically looking for the girl and not just any full-prosthetic being. We suspect that someone had snatched these androids from the factory and programmed them to go looking for her."

A look of concern spreads across the Major's face. Someone is after Leiko and using the androids as their henchmen. This could not be a coincidence.

"Ishikawa, I want you to study the code that was used to hack the androids and try to find a source whether it be a name, location, or link."

"Roger." He responds before dismissing by turning into pieces of pixelated fragments and disappearing.

"Togusa, I want you to go with Pazu to visit Leiko's aunt. Get whatever information you can from her."

"You think she's a suspect?" Togusa asks.

"At this point, anyone can be one."

"She's got a point...women can be dangerous." Pazu comments. He always has some sort of women problems in his personal life. The two men are then dismissed. Before the Major could give out anymore orders, she felt Leiko lightly touch her arm. She looks down and sees Leiko holding up her semi-broken crayon, wanting her to sharpen it since there was a small sharpener near the woman. She gently takes the crayon and carefully sharpens the red crayon for her. The men noticed the crayon and sharpener in their superior's hand through the webcam.

Batou chuckles, "'Mom of the Year' much?"

"Ha. Ha." She says dryly, without breaking her sight from the crayon, "How about you come over here yourself and I'll make you 'Dad of the Year'?"

"Can't argue with that." Batou raises his brows, accepting her word as a flirtatious invitation.

"That's not what I-"

"On my way!" Batou dismisses himself.

"-meant."

"What other way could that have gone?..." Saito asks.

Major ignores the question, "I want you and Borma to survey the city; mainly the shopping district where Kurutan and Leiko were visiting." She hands back the red crayon until she is given a new one to sharpen, "If you come across an android, try to restrain it before killing it unless it is about to self-destruct."

"Roger." Both men reply. The server is now empty and the Major logs off. She hands Leiko back the other crayon and notices the new picture she is coloring. It portrays an outline of a woman building a small robot. Leiko has colored the woman's hair purple and was now coloring the robot blue. Just as the Major was about to ask her about the drawing, she hears the doorbell.

"That was fast…" She mutters to herself. She leaves her seat and exits the room with Leiko following close behind like a duckling.


	5. Chapter 5

_Knock knock knock!_

The visitor has a strong fist. Kusanagi answers the door and it is, unsurprisingly, Batou.

"Good afternoon." He greets before noticing Leiko peeking around from behind the woman, "Hey there kid."

"Batou." Leiko says aloud.

"Hey! She knows my name!" He looks surprised.

Kusanagi nods, "I made sure that she learns the names and faces of my fellow comrades."

Batou then squats down to Leiko's level and smirks, "Well I guess that means I should learn _your_ name, Lilo?" He obviously knows her actual name.

"Leiko!" The girl cutely corrects him.

"Rinko?"

"Lay-ee-ko!" She then phonetically sounds out while giggling.

"Oooh, Leiko!" Batou chuckles while patting the girl's head.

Kusanagi's brows raise and she comments, "Well well...I didn't know you were good with kids."

"What? You think I'm some heartless guy who drinks, lifts weights, and smokes cigarettes all day?"

"Am I wrong to assume that?"

"Not completely." He stands. Kusanagi briefly smiles and allows him to enter inside. Even though he does not come by often, he seems to already treat the place like a second home. Leiko begins to follow him around since she liked the interaction she had with him moments ago. He grabs himself a beer from the fridge and takes a seat on Motoko's couch.

"You didn't just come to drink and lounge around in my house now, did you?" Kusanagi crosses her arms with a serious look on her face.

Batou takes a gulp of his drink before setting aside the can, "You got that right…." He reaches inside his coat and pulls out a stack of papers, "And to bring you the mission documents. They have more information on both cases including things that are yet to be discussed."

Kusanagi takes the files out of his hand and begins walking back to her office while saying, "Looks like you can extend your stay for thirty more minutes." She then closes the door behind her.

Batou chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. Leiko is sitting on the couch next to his and is looking at him curiously. The girl then asks, "How much of you is prosthetic?"

He's a little caught off guard by the sudden question but answers her anyway, "A lot actually. My legs, parts of my arms, parts of my torso, my eyes, and of course my cyberbrain."

"Why?"

"I did it for combat; to be stronger than the enemy since I was once in the military."

"So they made you do it?"

"I _chose_ to do it." He explains, "I didn't necessarily have to but I made the decision to."

"But why did you?"

"I love my country." He shrugs, "And I would do anything to protect it as well as the people in it." He looks over at the office door. Leiko looks in the same direction, curious as to why he was looking there.

"Do you miss being fully human?" She asks.

Batou pauses. He never really stopped to reflect on his past before Section 9; before the war. He leans back in his seat and replies, "You know, I've never really thought about it...but now that I do, I can honestly say that I don't miss it. Yeah, I may not look as handsome as I did before, but I'm a helluva lot stronger now. If I never went through with my transformation, I may not be here today; I may have never joined Section 9, made the friends I have now, or have ever met the Major...and that's something I wouldn't miss the world for."

Leiko smiles. His words are uplifting. No wonder Kusanagi said that she has her complete trust in him because Leiko now feels the same way.

"Batou! There are some files missing!" Kusanagi calls from the other room.

Batou's brows furrow and he replies, "What? No way! I was sure to grab all of them before I left…" He leaves his seat and heads to the office. The two bicker like an old married couple and Leiko watches in mirth.

After an hour and a half of a long discussion with Batou, Kusanagi finally exits the office. She is determined to get to the bottom of all that is going on, especially in regards to Leiko's caretakers.

As the night grows darker, Kusanagi suggests to her cohort, "You should head on back home. It's late and you have lots of work to do tomorrow."

Batou frowns, "You're not going to offer me to spend the night like the last f-"  
Kusanagi looks aside, "I don't know what you're talking about...just leave."

"Fine fine." He waves her off. As he was about to head for the door, he feels something wrap around his legs. He looks down and sees Leiko giving him a hug.

"Leiko…" Kusanagi is taken aback by the sight.

"Goodnight, Mr. Batou." Leiko says quietly.

The look on Batou's face softens and he gently teases, "Goodnight, Tachi-Leiko." He is reminded of how the Tachikomas would always address him as "Mr. Batou". He playfully messes up the hair on the top of her head and takes his leave. Leiko watches him from the glass door as he soon drives away.

Kusanagi questions what makes Leiko so connected to the man. Was it something he said? Does he remind her of her caretaker? Or is he naturally good with kids? These questions are set aside as she declares, "I'm going to take a bath and you should have one too. The tub is big enough for the two of us."

Leiko turns and looks over at her. She nods obediently and follows the woman into her personal bathroom. It is large with almost every wall covered in mirror. Kusanagi prepares the bath and sets it to the correct temperature for their prosthetic bodies as well as add some special soap, creating thick bubbles. Leiko stands patiently in the center of the floor but shies away when Kusanagi begins to undress. The woman sets aside her clothes and steps inside the tub. She lowers herself into the water and looks over at Leiko.

"Come on in," She encourages the girl, "The water feels good."

"O-okay…" Leiko looks up and sees the Major looking at her. Leiko tells her, "Don't look."

Kusanagi raises a brow; a child giving _her_ a command? She leans back against the tub and closes her eyes in response while tilting her head up. Leiko undresses and cautiously steps into the area across from the woman. She slowly sinks her body into the water and she feels the liquid entering her joints but not disrupting anything. She cannot feel the heat very much yet according to her body's response to it, she knows it's okay. The bubbles mask their bodies thus Leiko does not feel so shy.

"Tomorrow, I'm going back to work so you'll need a sitter…" Kusanagi states as she lounges in the tub, "After what I saw with Batou…I'd say he's my first choice. However, he needs to go to work as well…" She leans forward and then asks curiously, "Why did you hug him earlier?"

Leiko looks at the foaming bubbles and replies with, "He's a nice person."

Kusanagi raises her head. What does this girl mean exactly? Yes he's nice but no one, not even kids her age, randomly hug people they just meet because they're "nice". She also realizes that he's the only person Leiko has hugged over the course of being involved with Section 9 which made Kusanagi question her own kindness. Is the Major not worthy of receiving a hug as well? Such a thought is set aside.

The Major finishes her bath after 10 minutes. This was her second bath of the day after all. She exits the tub and wraps a towel around her waist; she doesn't mind being topless in her own home.

"You have ten more minutes until the water drains." She simply informs, "In the meantime, I'll be looking for a sitter." She walks out of the bathroom, leaving Leiko alone.

Leiko is now lost in thought, _Why doesn't she spend more time with me? Am I a burden to her?..._ Such thoughts always linger in her mind. She rarely receives any moment of optimism in her state. Her current goal in life is to find the right people who care for her not because they have to but because they want to. The moment she was given the perfect caretakers, they disappear. Sometimes she wonders if they "vanished" because they were tired of dealing with her; or perhaps some unearthly entity just wants to watch her suffer and be alone in life.

 _What's the point in sleeping if you can't dream?_


	6. Chapter 6

Leiko meets yet another one of Kusanagi's girlfriends the next morning. Her name is Ran and she has long dark brown hair. She is very kind but nothing more than a friendly acquaintance to the young girl. But it does bring up the question.

"Why does the Major have two girlfriends?" Leiko asks at the kitchen counter while eating some of her breakfast.

Ran pauses and replies slowly, "Well...some people enjoy the company of one other person while others enjoy the company of multiple people as long as they're all treated equally."

"Oh, okay." Leiko responds casually.

Ran was surprised by how easy it is for the girl to accept and understand the concept since still people find this to be a taboo practice.

"Do you plan to marry her and your other girlfriend?"

Ran tenses at her words; not a single person has ever asked her such a question and frankly she struggles to find an answer. "Uh...You know...we've never really discussed that…" She chuckled, "I mean, Motoko and I have only been together for 6 months while she and Kurutan have been together for 2 years...Besides, she's not the type to settle down."

"Why not?"

"It's just not her." She shrugs.

"Then what is her?"

Ran is baffled by all the questions and she feels like she's in some sort of interrogation, "She doesn't want to be tied down by something like marriage...she's a free spirit. Dating and 'other stuff' is more flexible than staying in one single relationship for the rest of her life."

"So she doesn't want kids either?..." Leiko asks a bit quietly.

The easiest answer is "exactly" but Ran has to play this safely, "I'm...not sure…" She sees the look of disappointment in the girl's eyes and changes the subject, "Hey! How about some morning icecream, hm?"

* * *

Togusa and Pazu arrive at a large white mansion. They stand in awe at the sight yet make sure that they stay on task.

 _[We've arrived at Leiko's aunt's house,]_ Pazu informs the Major through cyber-comms, _[Helluva place, if I say so myself.]_

 _[Make sure you give me the full report when you get back]_ She responds from HQ.

 _[Roger that.]_

Togusa rings the doorbell and waits patiently with his partner while adjusting his own tie. The double doors open and there stands a caucasian looking butler. He is an older man but perhaps not as old as Chief Aramaki.

"Whom am I speaking with?" The man asks with his nose held up high.

"I'm Togusa and this is my partner Pazu," Togusa speaks for themselves, "We're here to speak with Ms. Mori. We're from Section 9."

"Section 9?" The man narrows his eyes in examination. His brows raise and he lightly bows, "Oh yes! Please, come in!"

Pazu and Togusa enter inside the house. The interior is just as impressive as the exterior. Everything is made entirely of marble and ivory and they are greeted with a grand staircase. Standing alongside the railings are maids. Their stone-like positions suggest that they're not human whatsoever. Walking down the staircase is Ms. Mori herself. She is a tall, thin, middle-aged woman with dark hair and dark eyes. Her hair is in a twisted updo which takes a few years off her look.

"Finally! Officers from Section 9 have arrived!" She says in relief before shaking their hands.

"You were expecting us?" Pazu asks in confusion.

"Well...no….but I _have_ been meaning to contact you! My gynoids have been acting very strange lately and I had called technicians from all over Japan and all of them directed me to your company." She pauses suddenly and then says, "Now that begs the question...why did you two come to see _me_?"

"It's about Leiko." Togusa answers while eyeing the android maids since they were just mentioned, "But it can be about the gynoids too…"

"Leiko?" She looks at them oddly but then realizes, "Oh! My little niece! I have not seen her in almost a year! How is she?"

"I mean...I guess she's okay for now but her caretakers have gone missing...have you not been in contact with them since the accident?"

"I was...for the first week of her adoption…" She admits as she walks past them as not to look at their faces, "But I did give them money."

"Why not take her in yourself? I mean, you _are_ her aunt." Pazu asks the question everyone is wondering.

Ms. Mori turns around and reveals the frown on her face, "Before the accident...my sister and I had a sort of falling out, to the point where she refused to speak to me...we bickered like children and told each other that we hated one another and now...I can't take back all the mean things that I've said...when she passed away, I did not feel fit to take care of her daughter...especially because of the girl's condition...I wouldn't know what to do; I've never had children…" A small tear rolls down her cheek and her butler offers her a handkerchief.

Togusa seems to understand and replies, "I'm sorry to hear that…"

"Where is she now?" Ms. Mori dabs the tear away

"She's currently under the care of our major."

"May I visit her?"

"Um...well…" He looks at Pazu who shrugs in response, "I'm going to have to take that up with her…she's not much for visitors."

"Well I am Leiko's aunt so she'll _have_ to accept me." Ms. Mori says a bit smugly, "And during my visitation, I would like my gynoids to be given a check-up."

"One thing at a time lady…" Pazu is overwhelmed by how assertive this woman is.

"Are they hired housekeepers?" Togusa asks since owning androids of any kind is practically slavery nowadays.

Ms. Mori cocks her head, "More or less...You could actually say they're my 'consenting counterparts'."

"In what way?"

Ms. Mori smiles and lightly giggles as her answer.

Pazu gets it first and replies, "Ooh...Nice."

"Wait, I don't get it." Togusa says innocently.

"I do apologize but I have guests coming this evening." Ms Mori leads the men out the door, "Tell your major I would like to see Leiko as soon as possible and then tell your mechanics to come by and take a look at my gynoids, okay? It was nice meeting you both!"

Before they know it, Togusa and Pazu are back outside again. The meeting was so short and they're not even sure if they have enough information. The doors close behind them and they look at each other.

"My intuition tells me that there isn't something right with that lady…" Pazu comments lowly.

"I can't really read her," Togusa admits, "But either way...we'll take this up with the Major...though I don't think she'll be very open to inviting Ms. Mori to her safehouse."


	7. Chapter 7

"She is _not_ coming to my safehouse. Family or not." The Major says sternly.

Togusa and Pazu exchange looks and nod at the proposal. It is her home and Ms. Mori is a stranger after all. Togusa musters up the courage and asks, "Then...when do you want to meet her?"

The Major looks around and replies, "She can meet me here in the lobby tomorrow at 9. Leiko will be with me and you can send Proto to Ms. Mori's mansion to check on her sex slaves."

"Well...servant gynoid units…" He tries to correct.

"No difference." She brushes past him.

Pazu shrugs his shoulders and heads to his work station to file a report on the situation so far.

Kusanagi pulls up her cyber comms and contacts Borma and Saito, _[Anything suspicious in the shopping district?]_

 _[Everything looks clean]_ Borma responds while driving.

 _[Sweep the back alley where Leiko was attacked]_ She orders.

 _[I thought the local police already cleared it up]_ Saito comments in his monotone.

 _[Look more thoroughly with that eagle eye of yours; they always tend to miss things]_ She rebukes _[But be back here before 20:00]_

 _[Roger]_ The men reply obediently.

Once the Major was alone, she walks into an empty conference room and closes the door behind her. She shuts off the lights and wires into the projector before pulling up news articles. She began pulling up registries of fatal car accidents from the previous year. After going through a page or two, she finds the headline _**PARENTS DEAD. CHILD IN CRITICAL CONDITION**_. In the link that the article is in, there is a video from the local news station. She opens it up.

The video loads and opens with a female reporter standing in front of a crash site as workers behind her are gathering metal materials, "Yesterday night, a vehicle consisting of two adults and one child drove off the Iroha-zaka road in the mountains of the Okunikko region. These roads are known for their tight, 'hairpin' turns and forensics say the family may have slipped off the road due to last night's inclimate weather. The adults have been confirmed to be deceased but have yet to be identified. The child is in critical condition and has been sent to the local hospital." The car shown in the video looked like charred rubble. It was flipped over and crushed and there was no possible way anyone could have survived that. Then again, the Major could relate.

* * *

Kusanagi returns home early and right as she walks through the door, she is greeted with a kiss from Ran.

"How was your day, Babe?" Ran cooes.

"It was alright. How was Leiko?" Kusanagi asks, not feeling as affectionate at the moment.

Ran disapproves of this lack of affection and sighs, "Everything was fine. She ate her breakfast and lunch, colored in her coloring book, watched tv, and asked me lots of questions."

"What kind of questions?"

"Personal ones. And about you too."

"I hope you weren't too critical about me." Kusanagi dryly jokes, "Where is she now?"

"Sleeping. Apparently she didn't get much rest last night."

"Is that so?" Kusanagi walks past her girlfriend and up the stairs to Leiko's room. She sees the girl napping just on top of the covers. Though she looks peaceful, Kusanagi's mind would flash between seeing her now and seeing the pictures of her bloody, mangled body in the hospital records. The images trouble her so she quietly shuts the door.

Ran looks at Kusanagi curiously and asks, "You okay? You seem put off by something."

"It's nothing." The woman replies before saying, "Thanks for keeping an eye on her."

"She's a pretty good kid, so it was no problem at all~" Ran smiled but then pouts, "But does this mean I can't stay over?"

"Not today. Maybe next time."

Ran rolled her eyes, "That's what you said last time."

"Well last time I didn't know I had to babysit this time."

"Nnn- I guess you're right…" Ran gives in. Seeing the look of disappointment on her girlfriend's face, Kusanagi cups it with both hands and leans in closely.

The violet haired woman proceeds to whisper flirtatiously, "Once this is all over and done with...we can have three days where it's just you and me here...Locked in my bedroom...Spending quality time together...Would you like that?"

Ran blushes and begins biting her own lip. She nods and is flustered by the heat of the moment.

"Good." Kusanagi pulls away before ordering in her usual tone, "Now get going."

Ran giggles as she gathers up her personal items, "See you later, Babe~" She then leaves the household in a much upbeat mood.

Due to a long day at work and an already resting Leiko, Kusanagi decides to take a nap herself.

An hour later, Leiko awakes. She steps out into the hallway and sees that no one is around. She peeks down the stairs at the kitchen and living room and also sees that no one is there. She notices behind her, down the hallway, that there is a blue light shining through the bottom crack of the doorway. She has seen it once before but never bothered to explore it whenever the Major was around. Since the Major is currently absent, Leiko decides to take a look.

In order to unlock the door, a 4 numbered pin is required. Leiko studies the buttons on the pinpad and switches her optics to fluorescent vision. Cyborgs do not usually have fingerprints, however, she sees that human fingers have touched 4 numbers on the pinpad. She tries multiple combinations of the 4 numbers and finally, the combination 1-0-5-2 unlocks the door. She switches back to normal vision and peeks inside. It is a large, storage-like space with 8 tall cylinders. Inside most of the cylinders are clothed bodies. She's confused as to why the Major has all these different bodies. There was even one that resembled a child around her age. _What if they're not hers? What if she abducted these people?...What if I'm next?_

"What are you doing in here and how did you get in?" She hears the Major ask in a stern tone behind her.

Leiko is frightened by her presence and she spins around and cries, "What are you doing with all of these people?"

The Major gives her an odd look but then understands what she means. She tries to explain, "They're not people. They're empty shells."

Leiko is dissatisfied by the answer so Kusanagi further explains.

"These are full-prosthetic bodies I've accumulated over the years from either my personal life or work." She walks over to each body. The first one was the child body and she continues, "This was my body when I was a second-year. My first-year body is safe somewhere else so I decided to keep this one. In your second-year, you'll no longer have those visible joints."

Leiko looked at the child shell's body before comparing it to her own.

Kusanagi stands between the next to bodies and says, "These are my disguises from work. The left is Chroma and the right is whatever name I need for a mission." Chroma looks a lot like the Major except with shorter red hair. The unnamed body has long blonde hair and blue eyes. Kusanagi taps the glass on the next cylinder. In that one, it is a male body. "My male disguise and at some point, I tried living part of my life as a male. It only lasted a week. I call him Kaneda."

Leiko no longer looks troubled. Instead, she looks rather fascinated by all the names and the stories of each body. There was one more body and it happened to be a spare for Kurutan yet the rest of the cylinders were empty.

"What bodies will you put in the other ones?"

"I guess this one at some point." Kusanagi shrugged, "I've used this model for the longest and I know at some point, I'll have to store it away."

"Humans don't need to store away their bodies…" Leiko points out as she looks down at her hands.

Kusanagi looks at the girl and squats down next to her and reassures, "You don't need to either."

Leiko looks at her with a sort of sadness in her eyes.

"What you do with the rest of your life is based on the decisions and choices you make while living it. Even when something is out of your power, you can still redirect it. I've made plenty of dumb decisions in my life and I'm sure my coworkers can agree that I can sometimes be careless with my physical being...but you don't have to live like me. In fact, I recommend you don't.

I don't want to preach to you, but I'll go ahead and say it. Stay in school. Finish all your studies, go to university, get a good career, and if you want, find a significant other but don't let anyone but you define you. You don't want to end up with the wrong people but sometimes even the right people can be wrong."

Leiko is in awe of Motoko's words. No one, not even her caretakers, have ever told her anything that could compare to what she said. Ever since the accident, everyone tells Leiko that she can no longer live a normal life; that her life is now determined by the mechanical body she resides in. In that moment, she hugs the Major. Kusanagi is a little caught off guard by it but she cannot help but to hug back.

They sit there for a while until Kusanagi says, "Now explain how you got in here...I'm pretty impressed."


	8. Chapter 8

_Click clack click clack click clack!_

The high heels of Ms. Mori are heard echoing in the lobby of Section 9. She is wearing a short black dress and an elegant diamond necklace as if she was going on a dinner date. Kusanagi did not even have to meet the woman to know that she would not like her. To her, no one would fancy themselves up to meet the people who are taking care of her family member in dire times. At the same time, no one would underdress either.

The operator at the front desk does a quick scan of Ms. Mori, matching her fingerprint and facial structure with what is registered in the computer. Kusanagi watches closely from a distance with Batou at her side.

"So that's 'Auntie', huh?" Batou comments to his partner.

"Apparently." Kusanagi responds. She looks very unimpressed.

"You should've told me to come to work in a tuxedo."

"If I'd known...I would have worn one as well."

The thin woman finally meets the two officers and bows to them in greeting. They do not return the bow.

Ms. Mori is somewhat taken aback but then switches her neutral expression to that of one with worry, "You are Kusanagi Motoko that has been taking care of little Leiko, yes?"

"That's right." The Major puts a hand on her hip, "And you must be Mori Kanata that didn't take care of her in the first place."

Batou locked his lips at the sick burn. He cleared his throat and introduces himself awkwardly, "Um...Batou."

Ms. Mori's brow twitched and she asks "Where is Leiko? May I see her?"

Kusanagi does not answer her with words, only in action. She steps aside and whistles for Leiko to come and join them. The girl had been sitting on the floor, practicing her coloring, yet she immediately stands when she hearing the whistle. She walks towards the adults but slows herself at the sight of her aunt. She now keeps a cautious distance.

Ms. Mori smiles and gives an exaggerated sigh of relief. She walks over to the now halted child and kneels down in front of her, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Leiko does not respond.

"What's wrong? Have they been mistreating you? Scaring you?"

"'Scaring'? 'Mistreating'?" Kusanagi almost looks offended.

Ms. Mori barely looks back at the Major before directing her attention back towards the girl.

Leiko shakes her head and replies, "No. They've been nice to me."

Her aunt nods aside the comment and asks, "How would you like to come and live with me for the time being instead? I have a very big house and there is a room that is simply perfect for you-"

"Excuse me, Mori." Kusanagi interjects, "You don't have legal documentation to take care of a full-prosthetic child. She can't just be handed over especially in the middle of an investigation.."

"Oh no worries! I've already taken care of that~" Ms. Mori smirked before standing and calling, "Nathaniel!"

Her butler enters the area and has a stack of documents in his arms. Ms. Mori removes the topmost file and presents it to the officers.

"These are copies of Leiko's adoption forms from her caretakers. On page 83 it states _'in case anything were to happen to Mr. and Mrs. Kotara,_ _Kanata Mori_ _may step in as official and legal guardian'_." She then continues, "Of course, whenever anyone signs big official documents like this, you never think anything bad is going to happen. Now that something has _happened_ well...looks like I shall step in."

Kusanagi snatches the paper and scans it herself. She looks almost frustrated and asks, "Do you have the proper cyborg equipment? Meals? Maintenance kits? Wiring kits?"

"My gynoid units use almost the identical kits as a full-prosthetic unit. They've been approved by the Japanese Cyber Health Institution (JCHI) and are cleared for use. Nathaniel can fetch the top quality brand food for her."

The Major is still not convinced that Ms. Mori could take care of Leiko. If she chose not to do so in the first place, why bother signing these documents? Why suddenly hop at this opportunity to take her in? To her, it sounded like Ms. Mori was adopting a pet, not a humanoid being.

Before she could question her any further, Ms. Mori says, "I am going to speak with your Chief. I hear he's the final word around here." She smiles. She turns and is directed by one of the operators to head for Aramaki's office. Leiko is confused and unsure of what to do. She sees that the Major is distressed and slightly frowns.

Batou looks over at Leiko and suggests, "Go finish coloring that dragon from earlier. It was looking real nice."

Leiko looks up at him and nods before attending her coloring book.

Once the girl was away from them, Batou looks at the Major in concern. "What's wrong?"

"I don't trust her." Kusanagi can't seem to look at him or anyone else, "Something's wrong and I can't trust her."

"Why not? Yeah, she's kind of a snob but...I don't see much of a problem."

"Oh come on. Can't you tell that there's something wrong here?" She looks him dead in the lenses.

Batou sighs and says, "I really can't be the judge of that...but if you want my honest opinion...You seem like you don't want to give up Leiko."

"I…." Kusanagi is now rendered speechless. She looks over at Leiko and watches the girl color for a few moments. She's using the same method of coloring that the Major taught her to do just a few days ago. She looks down and rolls her own wrist. She finally utters a sentence, "I just want her to be safe…"

Batou nods in agreement. He then reassures, "I'm sure Aramaki will arrange something that'll allow you to come by and check on her every so often."

"Yeah.."

"Need a hug?" He offers.

"No."

Ms. Mori returns about a half hour later with Aramaki next to her. Their contrast in size makes Aramaki look like a little old man-child compared to her. Kusanagi straightens up a bit at the sight of her boss and awaits his word silently.

"I reviewed the documents with Ms. Mori and see that they are legitimate. She is cleared to take Leiko as temporary guardian, however, one of our fellow officers must come by twice a week to check on her as well as relay any information about our investigation to Ms. Mori."

Kusanagi looks disappointed by the announcement yet nods anyway.

"Leiko!" Mori calls to the child, "Come! Our ride is outside~"

Leiko is hesitant to leave. She follows her aunt towards the doors but stops when she is next to the Major. She looks up at her and in her eyes, she looks upset. The Major kneels down to get at eye-level with the girl but Leiko turns away and continues walking.

She is hurt. She wants to see the Major fight for her. She wants to see her make some sort of attempt to keep her from being given up to someone else again. Just when she was beginning to gain Motoko's trust, she is given away.

Kusanagi slows to a stand and watches the prosthetic child leave with Mori and the butler. The slide doors close behind them and all that is seen are their silhouettes entering a limousine and leaving the scene.

Aramaki looks at the Major and states, "Time to get back to work. You don't need to worry about taking care of her now. That _is_ what you wanted in the first place."

Kusanagi eyes look down, "Right…"


	9. Chapter 9

"Welcome home, Master!" The android units greet collectively.

They stand elegantly next to the staircase railing as they watch Ms. Mori and her new guest enter the house. Leiko looks somewhat wary of them as their doll-like nature makes her feel uneasy. Ms. Mori suddenly looks concerned as she notices that there are only 5 maids present and not 6.

"Where is Unit 3?" Mori asks.

"The technician, Proto, informed us that Unit 3 must be in low-power mode and is in need of upgrades." One maid answers, "Her system has been compromised by an unknown source as the rest of us no longer have any internal issues. Proto recommends Unit 3 to be sent to Section 9-"

"That sounds like money pouring out of my wallet…" Mori is displeased, "I asked him to give you girls a check-up...not try to sell me upgrades...ah well! I'll deal with Unit 3 when I get to her." She steps aside, "Ladies, please meet my niece, Leiko. She will be staying with us for a little while and perhaps...for a long while."

The maids bow and simultaneously say, "Pleased to meet you."

Leiko gives a slight bow back until she feels her aunt suddenly grab her hand and walk her up the steps. The maids eye the girl as she passes by them, studying her like some sort of new specimen. The two make their way down the hall and turn a corner. There was Leiko's new room. It was much bigger than the room that Major had provided her and of course it is much more elaborate.

"You have your own bed, TV, bathroom, closet, and wardrobe." Ms. Mori explains, "Make yourself at home while I check on my maids. I'll have Nathaniel come and fetch you in an hour for dinner, alright?"

"Okay…" Leiko replies meekly; she's still quite overwhelmed by her new surroundings.

"Good! I'll see you in an hour~" Ms. Mori waves as she leaves the girl all alone in her new room.

Leiko looks around and despite the room being filled with a lot of things, it feels like there's nothing to do. At least the Major kept an eye on her at all times except when it came to sleep. She gives a frustrated sigh and sits on the floor. Leaning against the bed, she found herself already missing the members from Section 9.

* * *

The Section 9 squad members (excluding Togusa) decide to visit the local bar as a way to relieve stress and take a break from their current missions. While all the men sit at the bar drinking and laughing together, Kusanagi sits alone by the window with a glass of Sake. After Leiko left, she barely spoke to anyone and practically stayed away from everyone at the office. Of course her closest companion took notice so Batou sits next to her with a beer in hand.

"I let her down." She suddenly speaks.

Batou is surprised that he didn't even have to ask.

"Just when I was finally getting use to things…" She trails off and looks down.

Batou nods quietly. They both know there is no way of fixing this yet it helped to have someone listen to her problems.

After a few brief moments, Batou offers, "Would you like some of my beer?"

Kusanagi lightly chuckles and accepts the offer, "Why not."

They people watch through the window as they share their beer and sake. There was not much exchange in words but it seems like they knew what was on one another's mind.

After about an hour of silent drinking, Batou informs, "You know...You can visit her tomorrow."

"I can't." Kusanagi sighs, "I'm going to go with Togusa to the hospital that Leiko's caretakers worked at...I was actually wondering if you could stop by and check on her yourself. She probably still likes you at least."

"I'm sure she still likes you too...she's just upset, that's all." He shrugs, "Don't all kids get upset with their parents at some point?"

"Stop it…" She almost giggled, as the constant mother jokes were getting old.

"Have you had enough to drink?"

"I still feel like I haven't."

Batou pushes aside the drinks as she most likely had more than enough, "A work night isn't a night to drink your sorrows away...I found that out the hard way."

"What 'sorrows' have you had?" She raises a brow.

"Plenty."

"Like what?" She rests her arm against the table and leans in to listen.

"Well...there's this beautiful woman and she is very strong and independent. I admire this woman everyday and she takes almost no notice of me. However, the time we do spend together...I cherish every minute of it. But that's as far as our relationship ever goes. I want to be with her...but at the same time I know that...she probably prefers to be free."

"Oh my god…" Kusanagi frowns almost drunkenly, "I had no idea you were into the Operator at the front desk…"

"..."

"I think it's time for me to head out." She almost stumbles to stand.

"I'm definitely driving you home…" Batou states, now looking somewhat frustrated. He himself did not have that much to drink so he knew he would be a better chauffer than herself.

"Bye boys!" She calls back to the other men.

"Bye Major." They call back.

As Batou walks her outside, Saito comments, "Look at that bastard...he probably gets more action than all of us combined."

"I disagree." Pazu rebukes.

"I really don't care what they do as long as he isn't getting paid more because of it…" Ishikawa shrugs and Borma nods in agreement.

Outside, Batou and the Major make it to his car. The moment he begins to drive, she falls asleep in the passenger seat. It was a really rough day for her and the only way to make things better was to find Leiko's caretakers and make her happy again. The girl's happiness is all she wanted. She's been in her shoes and she knows that at such a young age, it's perhaps harder to understand the reason for living in such a cruel world.

They make it to her safe house and Batou carries her inside. He knows all of her access codes and enters the building. He carries her all the way up to her room and lays her carefully on her round bed. He takes a moment to look at the beautiful woman and as much as he wanted to stay with her, he must leave. On his way out of the room, he runs into Kurutan.

She squeaks in fright but calms when she processes his familiar face, "Oh Batou, it's you! What are you doing here?"

"I came to drop off Major...she drank quite a bit at the bar today."

"Thanks for driving her home! You sure you don't want to stay? It's been awhile since she and I last fooled around with a man."

"Y-yeah...I think I'll pass on that…"

"Suit yourself! By the way...how'd that thing go with Leiko? I heard her Aunt came by today."

"She did and she went ahead and took the girl...that's why Motoko's so upset."

Kurutan frowns and looks at the bedroom door, "Aw...they were growing so close...I even grew fond of the little kid. She was so sweet and just needed some love...Anyway, I'll keep an eye on Kusa. Drive safely!"

"Thanks." Batou nods before leaving the house.


	10. Chapter 10

The hospital is never a welcoming place for Kusanagi. She dislikes the atmosphere and though she has little memory of it from when she was young, a part of her ghost still remembers it. She has no problem visiting the other hospital where her girlfriend works at, yet that is simply due to the fact that they claimed the janitor's closet for themselves-

"So, where should we start?" Togusa asks his superior.

"Front desk." She directs him, "It's the small steps that count."

"Got it." He replies. He notices that she isn't moving from her spot so he sighs, seeing that he has to be the one to start all the talking. He fakes a smile and greets the nurse, "Hello, Miss. I'm Togusa, an officer from Section 9, and I'm here with the Major for an investigation regarding the disappearances of Mr. and Mrs. Kotara."

The rosy haired nurse frowned and replied, "There's not much I can say...They simply never showed up for work one morning and since then, they still haven't...They were always on time; even earlier most days. They are very kind people...an older couple as well, mind you."

Kusanagi steps in and asks, "Were they always stationed in the hospital or did they have tasks outside of it?"

The nurse looks at her and nods, "Both. When on call, they would assist any cyborg and android units within a 32 kilometer radius."

"Do you have records of the calls they get?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Would you like me to bring up their profiles?"

"Please." The Major nods as her eyes scan the room.

"This may take a little while...Feel free to browse the hospital lobby, I will notify you when the files are up."

"Thanks." Kusanagi walks off. She raises her head and looks all around at the massive architecture. In the center of the main lobby, there is an a large angel statue that faces the front desk. It illuminates from the glass ceiling above and its dynamic posture gives the illusion of flotation. Though it looks powerful, the expression on its face looks lonely and empty. Togusa, on the other hand, tries to peek inside of the hospital rooms to see what they're like.

Fifteen minutes pass until the nurse finally notifies the two investigators. The three of them take over a desk nearby as another nurse takes over the front desk.

"They had a call the day before they disappeared but not the morning of." The nurse shows them a rather quantitative schedule. At the header, the Kotara's office number was apparent and Major kept note of it.

"How is a call outside of the hospital marked?"

"They clock it in themselves." The nurse replies.

"So is it possible that they answered a call that morning but because they never showed up to work, they didn't clock it in?" Togusa seemed to catch on to the Major's rhetoric.

The nurse pauses and nods, "That is possible...however, there are about 30 different patients that they assist outside of the hospital and new ones are added or discharged everyday."

"Then that's a start. Give me the location of each patient they tended to during that time." Kusanagi requests.

The nurse looks a little overwhelmed but would not turn down the authority, "Very well...I will need some time again."

"Togusa, stay with her. I'm going to take a look around." The Major orders.

"Right." He confirms before taking a seat. Kusanagi leaves the two and heads for the elevators.

Mr. and Mrs. Kotara's office was located on the 4th floor of the building. On this level was where most of the newly prosthetic individuals had their physical therapy.

A young nurse greeted and smiled kindly, "Hello Miss~ I see you too are full-prosthetic. It is so nice to see someone so far into it like myself."

"It's nice to see your patients being cared for." Kusanagi replies a bit more gently. She notices one of the office doors has flowers and candles surrounding it like an alter. At closer inspection, the pictures of Leiko's caretakers were framed in the center up against the glass window to their office.

"It's such a shame that they've gone missing…" The nurse joins her, "They were so sweet and I'm sure that if they could afford it, they would have adopted all of the young cyborg orphans they tended to…"

Kusanagi's fingers fiddle with one of the rose petals as she asks, "Were they disliked by anyone?"

"Oh no! They were loved by everyone!" The nurse rebuked, "They had hearts of gold...the patience of saints…"

"May I take a look around their office? I'm actually here to investigate their absence.."

"Most certainly," The nurse responds. She goes over to the door and unlocks it with a master key.

Kusanagi steps inside the dark room and looks around. It's just like any other hospital room except theirs had some extra equipment and computers. On the desk, there are pictures of them from their wedding day as well as their graduation from university. In an even smaller picture frame, there's a photo of a young black haired girl. Kusanagi picks it up and looks at it closely, trying to identify who it could be. She notices that the nurse is standing at the doorway so she asks, "Did the Kotara's have any relatives that you know of?"

"I believe they had a son who was in the military...however, he died in combat just a few years ago." The nurse sighed, "I think he was married and had a child, however, I think the mother left with the girl to Germany after his death."

"Is this their grandchild?" Kusanagi lifts up the picture.

"Oh, no. That's Leiko from before her transition." The nurse lightly smiles, "She was so beautiful, wasn't she?"

Kusanagi nods, "And she still is…" She places the picture back down.

* * *

 _Ding Dong!_

The butler Nathaniel answers the door. On the other side is a big, grumpy cyborg.

"Good evening, Sir." The butler greets, "How may I be of your service?"

"I'm here to check on Leiko." Batou responds in a serious tone.

"Very well. You may come in." The butler stands aside as he recognizes the man being from Section 9. The moment Batou enters the mansion, he is bewildered by all of the scantily clad gynoids.

"Guess I should have brought my speedo…" He chortled.

"Mistress Mori is having a pool party with the maids but I will notify her that you are here. Nonetheless, Leiko is upstairs in her bedroom."

Once arriving upstairs, Batou knocks on the girl's door. When not receiving an answer, he goes ahead and enters the room. The blue-haired girl is sitting on her bed, coloring in her coloring book. The moment she looks up from it, her eyes widen at the sight of Batou. She looks as if she is anticipating someone else to show up but pretends to return to coloring when no one else does.

"Hey…" Batou notices. He takes a seat on the edge of her bed and asks, "Not happy to see me?"

"I am." She doesn't break her sight from the paper.

"Expecting someone else, huh?" Batou practically says what is on the girl's mind.

Leiko pauses and frowns, "Yeah…"

"I know you're mad at her...but she's doing everything she can to get your caretakers back." Batou explains.

"I know…" Leiko lets go of her crayon, "It's just that...everyone I get close to always leave….and I was beginning to feel close to her…"

Batou's brows raise. Her feelings made a lot of sense to him in this moment.

"Now I'm afraid something bad will happen to _her_ because of me...I'm like a curse…"

Batou's brows furrow and he replies somewhat passionately, "I'm not going to let anything happen to her or even to you…"

"Promise?" Leiko looks up at him.

"Promise." He nods.

"Pinky promise?" She lifts her jointed pinky finger up in the air.

Batou hadn't done anything like this since middle school but he raised his own thick cyborg pinky finger up and linked it with hers replying with a chuckle, "Pinky promise."

They shake on it and their "contract" is sealed. Leiko lightly smiles and seems to be in a better mood now. She shows him everything that she had colored so far in her coloring book. Every page she turned, her progress seemed to improve. Her coloring was no longer sloppy and jagged but now it was smooth and cohesive thanks to the techniques that the Major had taught her.

Batou places his hand on one page, commenting on it saying, "That prince has Motoko's hair and eye color."

"Mhm!" Leiko smiles proudly, happy to see that he could recognize her, "And the princess is Kurutan!"

In the middle of the art display, Ms. Mori appears at the doorway. She is wearing a black bikini with diamond lining and her hair is wet and pushed back.

"Ah, so nice to see you~" Mori smirks at the man, "All looks well?"

"So far…" He replies a bit sternly. He glances at her body, wondering why she isn't wearing a coverup.

"Sorry...I was just having a get together outside...Would like to join us?" She purrs.

"I was just leaving." Batou responds. Leiko looks up at him but doesn't want him to leave so soon.

"Shame...maybe next time." Ms. Mori pouts but then raises a brow, "And bring a swimsuit...or...you don't really need one actually." She giggles. Batou is rather put off by the woman's flirtations but once she left, he turned to look at Leiko.

He then speaks to the girl quietly, "I brought something for you but you'll have to keep it a secret…"

"What is it?" Leiko whispers.

Batou pulls out a tiny think tank looking device that fit the palm of his hand. It's a brown color but it looks rather cute.

"This is a nano-Fuchikoma. It can monitor you while I'm away and you can contact HQ with it." He explains, "But only use it for emergencies...It will roam around the house on its own every now and then but it can stay undetected using thermo-optic camouflage."

"Ooh." Leiko looks very interested and he places the tiny tank in her hands. She repeats the name to herself, "Fuchikoma."

"It's a little something that Major wanted you to have just to make sure you're okay."

Leiko smiles and nods. She hugs the man and is very thankful for all he and section 9 is doing for her. As he leaves, the Fuchikoma crawls up her arm and hops onto the bed from her shoulder. It looks up at her and waves its tiny appendage. Leiko gives it a little wave back and giggles at how cute it is.


	11. Chapter 11

The young girl tiptoes down the steps as her nano-Fuchikoma rests on her shoulder. She hears Aunt Mori in the kitchen, talking on the phone, so she goes downstairs to investigate. First-year prosthetics are plastic-like in texture so the bare footsteps against the marble floor should make tapping sounds, however, Leiko has trained herself to move about in silence. She turns a corner and peaks over at her aunt. The mini think tank leans in and its lenses zoom in on the woman's face, trying to get a read on her expressions and the conversation at hand.

"What do you mean you refuse to fix it?" Mori asks aggressively, "I'm not letting that police group tamper with it...they may charge me god-knows-what for the damage…"

As she was speaking, one of her gynoid units passed by her with a tray of food and walked over to a door that was presumably the pantry. Upon opening it, the door led to a basement instead. The fuchikoma took notice of this and hopped from Leiko's shoulder and onto the floor. Leiko lightly gasped at the unexpected action and Aunt Mori whipped around to look at the girl. The fuchikoma is now nowhere in sight.

Ms. Mori puts on a smile and says to the phone, "I'll call you back." Before hanging up. She leans forward, her hands on her knees, and she cocks her head, "Up early I see...Come for breakfast?"

"Yeah." Leiko replies awkwardly; she didn't plan on getting caught snooping around.

"Hm." Her Aunt nods before gesturing towards the table, "Sit. There's a plate just for you." Her Aunt moves backwards and shuts the basement door behind her.

Leiko sits at the table silently and begins eating the artificial toast with egg.

The woman joins her and suggests, "I was thinking you and I can go out somewhere today. Any places you have in mind?"

Leiko shakes her head at first but then pauses. She processes known areas and remembers, "I saw kids playing at a park on the drive over here."

"What a lovely idea! The park it is then~" Mori stands with enthusiasm. Leiko is rather perturbed by it yet her aunt continues, "Nathaniel can drive us there and two of my units can accompany us." She calls two maids over. They seem to be distracted by something since they kept looking about at the ceilings and floors.

"What are they doing?" Leiko asks quietly.

"I have no idea…" Mori replies before snapping, "Hey! Pay attention!"

"My apologies, Mistress." The units bow in unison, "There seems to be an unknown object in the area."

"Really? Hope it's not those pests again…" She mumbled, "No worries. We shall deal with it when we return."

"Yes, Mistress."

* * *

"Looks like she's off to the park." Ishikawa leans back in his personalized chair as he watches the nano-Fuchikoma's monitors on the computer screens in front of him. The Major stands just behind him with Borma and Saito at her side.

Pazu leans against the wall nearby and asks in monotone, "Isn't this a little creepy? You know...monitoring a minor without their knowledge?"

"It's for her safety." The Major replies nonchalantly.

"Does her safety also involve 'pinky promises'?" Saito scoffed.

 _[Very funny]_ Batou contacts their group server, _[Anyway...Are you going to see her at the park, Major?]_

The woman stares at the monitors, seemingly spacing out as she watches Leiko leaving the front door with her aunt and gynoid units.

 _[Major?]_

"No." She returns back to their conversation, "I'll visit her tomorrow at the mansion as scheduled. I don't want to confront her in public."

"Well what do you want us to do?" Borma asks curiously.

"Togusa acquired the list of patients that the Kotara's tended to just before their disappearance. I want you, Batou, and Pazu to question each of the patients who were located outside of the hospital that day."

"You don't honestly think one of their patients could be a suspect?" Borma somewhat frowns at the idea.

"It's our only lead. If you compare the data, the Kotara's were always on time for every appointment. If one took place outside the hospital, it would take them about an hour to 2.3 hours to return and clock in the patient. If the patient was tended to in the morning before the Kotara's could even step foot inside of the hospital, then they should of clocked in an hour or two later into their shift."

"Have you considered the possibility of them just going 'off the grid'?" Ishikawa suddenly adds.

Kusanagi pauses and shakes her head, "After to speaking to some of their fellow employees...they seemed loyal and caring to those around them. Going 'off the grid' would be uncharacteristic for people like them."

"Fair enough."

"Good. Any questions?" She looks around.

Saito stretches and asks, "What do you want me to do?"

"You go and monitor Leiko at the park."

"What?"

"You heard me. But keep your distance."

"You know you're talking to a Sniper, right?"

"Precisely. Now let's get to work."

"Roger." The men respond before parting ways. Kusanagi stays behind with Ishikawa and returns her attention to the monitors.

The Major narrows her eyes and directs Ishikawa, "Now let's see where that basement leads to."

* * *

The park is the latest installment of its kind. The playground equipment is bright, colorful, and new. Kids from all around the city flock to the large monkey bars and twisting tubes. Leiko stands by the perimeter of the park and is hesitant to approach any of it. Mori looks rather frustrated that the girl suggests going to a park but is too afraid to partake in it.

"Now Leiko." Ms. Mori smiles, "Don't be shy~ Go on and play on something! It all looks so fun!"

Leiko can feel anxiety fill within her as she notices that none of the other kids have any visible prosthetics but herself. She steps onto the pebbles carefully and tries to process how exactly to maneuver through them since she cannot feel anything in her feet. She slowly approaches the monkey bars but when the other kids stop playing to stare at her, she retreats to nearby swings. Mori sighs yet sees that Leiko is preoccupied with at least something so she pulls out her phone in attempts to return to her conversation from earlier.

Leiko silently sits in the swing alone as other children run past her with their mothers' watching from a distance. This constant loneliness was always present in her and it became more apparent in places like these. She knows this and questions why she even bothered coming here. Then she remembers. Before her transition, she loved the park. It filled her with joy and excitement. Now it fills her with pain and solitude.

"What's wrong, Leiko?" A young familiar voice asks. Next to her, a young black haired girl sits on the swing next to her. She smiles sweetly but too much so for the cyborg's taste.

Leiko looks at her for a long moment and wonders how this stranger knew her name.

The girl continues, "I thought you loved the park."

"Do I know you?..."

"You use to know me. Just like you use to love the park."

Leiko tries going through every folder in her facial recognition files but is unable to retrieve any information on this girl.

"You know something's fishy here. Remember fishing? Your first catch was a salmon but you let it go. You felt bad for it and didn't want it to be scaled."

Memories suddenly fill Leiko's head. She remembers that day exactly. Her father loved to fish as a pass time and she once went with him on a fishing trip only to discover that she didn't like it.

The mysterious girl swings back and forward, "You know something's odd here. Remember odds and evens? You excelled in math but your peers were jealous. You're a quick learner and your parents were proud."

Leiko is still good at math. She subconsciously calculates even the simplest of tasks; converting them into sort of equations for her to figure out.

The girl stops swinging and stares at the ground. Leiko feels uneasy by the sudden silence yet suddenly the girl says, "You know something's funny here. Remember funny jokes? You had a sharp tongue but sometimes it got you into trouble. Your quick wit and antics made others laugh and you were so happy." She then looks directly at Leiko, "What happened to her?"

Leiko is somewhat taken aback and now has a visible frown, "I...She's…"

"Gone? Why'd she run?"

"She didn't run…"

"Hide?"

"No..."

"Died?"

Leiko grasps the swing's chains and looks down; oil begins to fill up her optics.

The girl is unfazed by the tears and she begins to swing again, "I don't think she's dead. I think she's asleep. She always loved sleep. Her favorite part were the dreams-"

"But she can't dream anymore!" Leiko almost shouted as the liquid rolled down her cheeks, "She's a machine. A walking computer with a name. Only humans have dreams…"

"Humans have brains. Humans have hearts. Humans have human parts." The girl responds in a sing-song voice, "Last time I checked...you still have some of those things. What's to say your heart can't dream?"

Leiko wipes her tears with her thumb and looks rather confused by the statement.

"When people say 'follow your heart' or 'listen to your heart'...can't you also 'dream with your heart'?"

Leiko ponders on the statement until she hears her aunt calling for her.

"Leiko! It's getting too hot! Let's get back in the limo!"

Leiko turns to speak with the girl one last time but to her astonishment, the girl simply vanished. Her swing is stationary. It is as if there was never a trace of a black haired girl being next to her at all.

As Leiko leaves her swing, Saito monitors her from afar. He was a witness to the ordeal on the swingset and frankly, he was a bit irked by the sight of a child talking to herself.

Leiko stares at the ground as she walks back to her aunt. The conversation replayed in her head without it even being recorded into her cyber brain's memory.

"Something's fishy. Something's odd. Something's funny." She repeated to herself.

Ms. Mori stood by the limousine and notices that something is off with the girl.

Within moments, Leiko changes paths and begins to run away. Ms. Mori is utterly stunned and she calls over her gynoid units.

"Get that girl immediately!"

"Yes, Mistress." They reply before following the girl.

Saito sees the commotion and curses, "Shit!"

The gynoids' speed seems greater than the average unit and were most likely customized by someone out of the company's facilities. Leiko feels herself begin to fall forward but is caught by the one-eyed man.

Saito glares at the maids and the stop a few yards away from him. Leiko profiles Saito's face and she almost begs, "Please take me back to Section 9...I think there's something wrong…"

Saito looks down at the girl in his arms and says, "I'm sorry...but I can't just…"

"You're an officer from Section 9, yes?" Ms. Mori approaches the two. She looks disgusted, "Have you been snooping on us this whole time? Do you not trust me having this girl in my care?"

"It's not really 'care' if you don't call Leiko by her name or chase her down with your 'Maid-9' units" An obvious play on K9 units.

"I have no idea why she ran…" Ms. Mori leans down and looks at her niece asking, "Is there something I said? I thought the environment I provided you with was adequate. I feed you. I try and spend time with you. What else can I do for you?"

"Give me back to them...Just give me back." Leiko hides her face.


	12. Chapter 12

The nano-Fuchikoma's optics adjusts to the darkness of the basement. The built-in thermometer indicates that it is unnaturally cool especially since Japan is the middle of summer. The Fuchikoma crawls along the walls, scoping out the objects in the room. Most of it is storage and common android parts. The maid android that entered here earlier is nowhere in sight, however, in the center of the floor was a stretcher covered with a black sheet forming the shape of a humanoid body beneath it. Kusanagi narrows her eyes at the sight on Ishikawa's computer monitors.

"Get a closer look at that…" She instructs with a tone of suspicion.

Ishikawa controls the nanobot to move in on whatever is underneath the sheet. Just as it is inches away, another door in the basement opens. The maid enters the room and the fuchikoma camouflages itself against the environment. The gynoid looks around curiously while holding an empty tray against its chest. Abruptly, the humanoid under the sheet begins to convulse and the gynoid grabs a gun-like object from one of the work benches. It pulls back the blanket and reveals the defected android; the one Proto had examined days ago.

"I thought the defected android was taken in." The Major states.

"I don't think Mori lady agreed to it." Ishikawa hypothesized.

"We'll have Proto report to us what he encountered with it."

The unaffected maid knelt down and shot an anticatalyst into the neck port of the shaking droid which slowed its movements down until finally putting it into a forced sleep mode. Seeing that the gynoid is no longer moving, the maid proceeds to exit through the kitchen door. Now the Fuchikoma's attention is toward the other door.

"Ishikawa, I want you to-"

"What in the world was that all about?" Ms. Mori's voice is heard through the background of the audio feed. The nano fuchikoma abandons its side quest to check on all of the commotion. The bot exit the basement while still camouflaged and watches Ms. Mori speak to a somewhat distressed Leiko in the distance. "Do you _want_ to go to an orphanage? Do you _want_ to jump from foster home to foster home?"

"No, Ma'am…" Leiko sniffles.

"I am currently and LEGALLY your guardian. What have I done to drive you away? Tell me." Ms. Mori demands an explanation that the girl does not answer. Mori then gives a sigh of frustration. She finally points towards the staircase and simply states, "Go back to your room. Nathaniel will bring you dinner in a few hours...I hope you think about what you did today. How bad you made ME look out there in front of that police boy…"

"Ooh, Saito's not going to like this one…" Ishikawa awkwardly comments at the nickname.

Leiko looks down and makes her way upstairs to her designated room. She crawls into bed and buries herself under the covers, not wanting to deal with anyone or anything anymore. The nano-fuchikoma suddenly appears inside of the room and crawls up onto her bed. Ishikawa switches the robot to its A.I. mode so it can communicate with Leiko.

"Leiko, what happened?" The tiny Fuchikoma asks in a squeaky voice.

Leiko peeks over at it from the covers and replies meekly, "I tried to run away again...that's all I know what to do...I miss Section 9. I miss Batou...I miss Major…"

Ishikawa looks up from his computer screen to see the Major's reaction. For once, she has an empathetic look on her face, something the computer geek has never seen in his whole career.

The nano-fuchikoma moves closer to the girl and says, "I'm sure they miss you just as much! I bet they're watching over you right now~"

"Alright...I think we should log off." Ishikawa cancels the signal so they could no longer keep an eye on the girl, "You feelin' alright?"

"I'm fine." The Major turns away, "I believe that's enough for today. I will gather more intel when I visit the house tomorrow."

"Affirmative." Ishikawa stands and begins clearing his workspace. The days seem to be getting longer as questions continue to lack answers; as missing people are still nowhere to be found. This mission is a new instrument being played by ear. It is only a matter of time before it becomes a part of an orchestra.

As scheduled, Kusanagi made her way to Mori's mansion. She feels confident and ready to finally reunite with the young cyborg even if it's not for very long. She rings the doorbell and of course, the loyal butler answers it.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am." Nathaniel greets, "I suppose you are here to see Leiko?"

"Obviously." The Major replies a bit bluntly as her eyes scan him from behind her violet visor.

"Very well. Please come in. I'll let Mistress Mori know that you are here." As the butler was closing the door behind the woman, he begins to instruct, "Leiko's room is upstairs to your-"

"Got it." Kusanagi was already at the top of the stairs before turning a corner.

Nathaniel is rather baffled that the cyber woman knows exactly where to go despite this being her first time at the mansion.

She walks through the seemingly long hallway and focuses on the door to Leiko's room. Just as she is about to knock, she notices that the door is cracked so she slowly enters. Leiko is sitting at her vanity, combing her medium-length artificial hair. The nano-Fuchikoma sits in front of the mirror but turns around when sensing the Major.

"Major!" The tiny bot cheers.

Leiko looks at the Fuchikoma before following its sight to Kusanagi. Her eyes widen and she drops her hairbrush. She immediately stands and runs over to the Major who kneels down to her level. The girl wraps her fragile arms around the woman and she hides her face against her neck.

"Hello Leiko…" Kusanagi greets softly.

"I've missed you so much!" Leiko almost sobs.

"I missed you too." She agrees.

"I want to go back home with you...I can't be here anymore!"

"Why not?" Kusanagi pulls away from the hug to look at the girl's face.

Leiko rubbed her eyes and shook her head, "I just have a feeling...that something bad is going to happen...and I feel much safer with you."

"Nothing bad is going to happen...I will not allow it." She reassures. She looks around the room and sees the Fuchikoma. She knows that Ishikawa could see her through its cameras but she was sure not to perform for it. She changes the subject and asks, "So what do you do here?"

Leiko walks around the room and shrugs, "Stay in my room, color...oh! And play with the nano-fuchikoma Batou gave me! But that's it…"

"It does sound rather mundane…" Kusanagi spots a photograph and examines it. It's a picture of Mori and her sister, Leiko's biological mother. The picture must have been taken when they were young adults.

Leiko walks over to her and looks at the photograph silently. She finally speaks after a long minute, "I miss her...And dad too." Leiko looks up at the Major and asks, "Where are your parents?"

"They're gone too." She set the picture frame back in its place, "I lost them when I was a bit younger than you."

Leiko frowns and says, "I'm sorry…"

Kusanagi shakes her head, "There's nothing to be sorry about. It happened a long time ago."

"Do you ever miss them?"

"Sometimes."

"How did you make it without them?"

That is a good question. Kusanagi remembers being with different caretakers every few years before finally leaving them all behind to look for meaning in her life. She finally answers, "I used their traits while trying to find myself."

Leiko is unsure of what to make of her answer and she seems puzzled.

"People say that we're all born a 'blank slate'. I disagree. There are so many biological and psychological factors that every person has retained at birth that they are not beginning as a 'blank slate', per say, but as a background to a bigger picture. My father use to tell me that I had my mother's intuition and my mother use to tell me that I had my father's courage. Deep down in all that is left of my original human parts, I still have my parents in me no matter how microscopic that information may one day become. Those traits I inherited help me to this day. So I no longer mourn my parents death because I do feel like they are still with me." Kusanagi admits, "I am still trying to figure out who exactly I am and that's okay. Life isn't about knowing all, it's about discovering all. And you know what? You're lucky. You have a lot of your original parts inside you."

Leiko lightly smiles and feels greatly reassured. She places a hand against her own chest and focuses on her heart beat. She now not only sees it as her own but also as her parent's, as if they were living on inside of her.

An idea suddenly sparks in Kusanagi's mind. She offers, "Want to go for a drive?"

"'A drive'?" Leiko is surprised and then asks in a low voice,"Is that okay?..."

"Why not? It won't be for long and we can even catch up on a few things." The major almost smiles.

Leiko nods excitedly and follows the woman. Kusanagi gives a light wave to the nano-Fuchikoma before leaving and Ishikawa on the other end is very baffled by Major's sudden decision. Kusanagi holds Leiko's hand while, somewhat cautiously, exits the mansion without Ms. Mori or her butler's knowledge. The coast seems clear from the two until the doors finally close behind them.

One of the maids inside the mansion notices their departure and contacts the other gynoids, _[Kusanagi Motoko has left home base with Leiko...transport the bodies into the truck.]_


	13. Chapter 13

It was not a long drive into the city but Leiko cherished every moment of it; away from the gaudy mansion, away from the creepy androids...away from her aunt. She had felt so isolated in the home that it was almost no different from being a runaway. She simply wanted to return to the Major's hideout. At least there she had a lot more freedom and she didn't have to constantly face the idea of having missing parents.

"Any specific place you'd like to go?" Kusanagi asks, looking through her rearview mirror to see the child.

Leiko smiles and cutely shrugs.

Kusanagi chuckles, "I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to what places kids like to go to these days...but perhaps I can take you to a dessert shop? They make foods exclusively for cyborgs and from what I remember, they're delicious."

"Okay!" Leiko nodded excitedly. Her mood had completely transformed from earlier this morning.

They eventually make it to the dessert shop just in the heart of the city. In that particular area, cyborgs were the norm and Leiko felt quite welcomed here. People still had jointed models, visible exoskeletons, and were unique in every way imaginable. The dessert shop itself was small yet eccentric. It had many colorful items on display and Leiko was free to choose whatever she pleased. She seemed so excited and began to pick flavors she remembered enjoying. From raspberries to oranges, she was willing to try anything. Kusanagi broke a small smile, feeling a sort of goodness simply by showing the girl some kindness. She was patient with her and she simply wanted to make things right.

Breaking the bonding moment, the Major's cyberbrain intercoms went off. It was Batou and he was using the emergency line.

Her face turned serious as she questioned him, _[What'd you find?]_

 _[Major, all of the patients on the list were cyborgs except one. It was a gynoid unit that was the same exact design and coding of the one Proto worked on. It was also the last patient to be worked on before the disappearance.]_

Major was shocked, _[So, you're saying that the Kotara's…]_

 _[...visited Ms. Mori that morning...]_ He finished her sentence in a grim tone.

It was as if the world around her fell silent as she tried to process what information she just received. On top of that, she received another call but this time it was through the emergency line. It was Ishikawa.

 _[Major! There's a truck at the mansion and the maid units are transporting two stretchers into it! I think we just found our missing persons…]_

Kusanagi had a determined look on her face and she directed, _[All units, grab a tachikoma and head towards the mansion. Ishikawa, track that truck with the nano-fuchikoma. From there, we will redirect our course and follow it.]_

Togusa sounded concerned in regards to the child, _[Is Leiko with you?]_

 _[Yes, she's safe. But she'll be much safer somewhere else. I'm going to follow that truck…]_ The Major's voice sounded rough and full of anger, _[Any questions?]_

 _[No, Ma'am]_ The men replied unanimously.

 _[Good. Then move out!]_

 _[Roger!]_

Kusanagi grabbed Leiko's arm and leaned over saying urgently, "Leiko, we must leave…"

"Huh? But we just got here…" The girl replied with a semi-full mouth of strawberry dango.

"It's an emergency." Was all the woman said before tossing the adequate amount of yen to the cashier.

She immediately got herself and Leiko into the car and did not hesitate to speed through the roads. The girl clung to her seatbelt tightly, wondering why they were in such a hurry. Kusanagi called up Ran and she almost begged for her to go to her safehouse so Leiko had someone to watch over her.

"Don't worry, Baby, I'll be over there in a jiff~" Ran cooed happily over the phone, feeling such "neediness" from her significant other.

They finally made it to the Major's home and Leiko quickly followed the woman inside. Kusanagi was frustrated that Ran wasn't here at the moment yet she took the time to explain the situation to Leiko.

She knelt down to the girl's level and spoke to her as gently as possible, "We may have found your caretakers...but to be safe, you should stay here while my team goes to check on them."

The girl's eyes widened but she did not know which emotion, of the many she was feeling, to express.

"Ms. Mori's home isn't safe...and I regret ever handing you over to her…" Kusanagi sighed.

"Something inside of me always knew that something was fishy." Leiko admitted.

Kusanagi gave a light smirk, "That's called your woman or girl's intuition...something you can always count on." She could suddenly hear the Ran's car pull up out front. She then rolled up her sleeve and revealed a silver watch on her wrist. She removed it before making the girl hold out her arm in front of her so she could put it on, "This is a traditional watch...This is very special to me and I would like for you to protect it, alright?"

Leiko looked down at it in admiration and she looked up at Kusanagi, "Please come back safe…"

Kusanagi nodded, "You have nothing to worry about."

Ran entered the room and she waved at the two of them quietly, not wanting to ruin their moment. The Major stood and looked at her girlfriend as the two shared a some sort of mental agreement. Leiko watched as the brave woman left but a part of her felt fearful for her. She didn't want her to disappear too.

* * *

The Tachikomas were all on course to follow the truck. They were spread out on different roads and were using their thermo-optic camouflage. Inside each tank was a rider wearing their combat suits. The nano-tachikoma was attached to the bumper of the truck as its data connected to all of their GPSes giving them the exact coordinates at every second.

 _[Are you sure those bodies were the Kotara's?]_ Pazu had contacted his teammates.

 _[It has to be...Why would one of their patients be the defected gynoid in Ms. Mori's own home? They solely work on full-prosthetic cyborgs. And the fact that they never showed back up at the hospital…]_ Kusanagi speculated as she sped her car through the freeway.

 _[Do you think...Ms. Mori is behind all of this?]_ Togusa asked in a quieter tone. He did not want Leiko's own family member to be a suspect of such a serious crime.

 _[Guess we have to find out]_ Batou concluded.

The truck drove mile after mile until it left the city. It always had a constant speed and did not seem to stop for anything. The nano-fuchikoma ran an exterior scan of the vehicle to show how many people were on board. Two of them were large male physiqued androids and the other three were human.

After two hours of driving, the truck finally parked outside of a massive concrete building. It almost looked like a prison. The sign outside read **Oidashimasu Immigration Detention Center**. It was heavily guarded from ground level to rooftop and they carried quite the array of weapons.

The androids exited the vehicle and opened the back doors revealing the two bodies and, to their dismay, Ms. Mori whom was directing her henchmen on what to do.

"Take them to the back...A boat should be arriving for them soon." The woman directed. She walked over to the stretchers and unmasked the bodies. There was no doubt in anyone's minds that they were the Kotara's. Their bodies were motionless and they had rags in their mouths, acting as gags. However, it was hard to say if they were alive or not.

 _[We have a facial recognition confirmation that those are the victims]_ Ishikawa alerted to his coworkers. Their tachikomas were all lined up facing the truck and building while still unseen.

 _[I'll talk to them and if things get out of hand…]_ Major informed, _[You know what to do.]_

The androids were about to carry the bodies inside until they heard the unknown vehicle. They turned around and stared soulessly at the visitor while Ms. Mori peered at whom it could be.

Kusanagi Motoko stepped out of her car and began walking towards them, "So...the kidnapper of the cyborg's caretakers is actually the cyborg's aunt. I must hand it to you, you really played the Auntie Dearest role well."

Ms. Mori was absolutely baffled by the police woman and she began to try and save face, "O-oh, Major!...W-we...um, were actually the ones toooo…. _save_ the Kotaras!"

"Don't play stupid with me…" Kusanagi was tired of these games, "Just own up to your actions...the consequences will be less severe in the long run."

Ms. Mori's pitiful composition now transitioned to a more sinister one. She smirked and scoffed, "Fine. _I_ kidnapped the Kotara's so I could use Leiko's adoption money to fund my debts. I may look wealthy but my parents never gave me much when they passed..however, my beloved sister kindly left me in her will. I brought the caretakers here so they can take the next boat to the U.S.; I'm sure their president will kindly take them into the country..."

"I've been in the line of duty for a few years now...but not once have I encountered someone who has stooped so low as you have…"

"Well...there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Mori giggled, Her smile fades and she suddenly commands, "Shoot her."

All the android guards in the area turn their heads, directly facing the lone major. They raise their weapons and begin shooting like at her like a firing squad. The only thing she could think of doing in the moment was use her arms to block the bullets coming towards her head since she had nowhere to take cover. To her surprise, she heard metal being stuck but it was not her own. Within seconds, one of the Tachikomas became visible and was standing in front of her, acting as a shield.

"Hi, Major!" The Tachikoma greeted cheerfully.

It's rider inside subsequently contacted her. It was Batou, _[I made a promise to someone that I would protect you...but I would have done it anyway.]_

 _[I think I was handling myself just fine,]_ She somewhat joked in response.

Ms. Mori suddenly turned and ran as her androids continued to fire. A few backup droids picked up the stretchers and followed her closely behind.

The Major was not going to let the woman get away. She ordered for her squadron to give her cover fire as she followed the suspects inside. Batou hopped out of his think tank to join her on the chase. The detention center was wide and seemed almost abandoned. It was as if it was not an official government paid building at all. The long halls were filthy and the ceilings leaked of unknown lubricants. Mori and her androids made it to the elevator which was at the very end of the hall. She gave a taunting wave as gynoid maids appeared from the side rooms. They attacked the two officers with blades that protruded from their limbs. They slashed from right to left and up and down yet Kusanagi was able to dodge each attack. Her expertise in martial arts basically pummeled the maids down with Batou coming in for a few combos.

Once the distractions were taken out, the group focused on the elevator. Batou used his optic scanners and noted that it was a false elevator. It was basically two automatic doors that led to another connecting room. The only way to access it was by hacking the system or simply using brute force from a full-prosthetic being. Batou, of course, chose the latter. There was yet another hallway before them and they made no hesitation to go down it. They found themselves in a large room full of medical beds and doctors' tools.

 _[Guess this place use to be a hospital]_ Batou inferred from his surroundings.

 _[There's no time to take a stroll]_ His superior snapped, _[They couldn't have gone far.]_

It was dark, eerie and smelled of death. There was dried blood on the floor which made it clear that this hospital was shut down. Their chase led them to a set of exit doors and just behind them was the outside world. The building was right next to the ocean and small boats could be seen out in the distance.

Batou was distracted until he saw a projectile shoot towards them, "Major, get down!" He pushed their bodies out of the way before it hit, causing a small explosion. He body blocked the rumble and shrapnel as he laid on top of her. The second he looked up, he had a gun to his forehead.

"Get up...both of you," Ms. Mori ordered sharply as she stood behind her remaining androids. They seemed to be the ones carrying out her dirty work.

Batou growled yet silently complied. Major made her way to a stand and simply stared at the woman.

"You know I have friends in high places...high enough to corrupt normal to military droids...it's pretty easy." Mori paced over towards them, "I also have friends...who forge newspapers and simulate 'live television'...There's so much power that money holds."

"What are you getting at?..." Kusanagi asked with an unsure look on her face.

Mori began to laugh yet then began to cry, "I...had my sister and my brother-in-law killed. There was never a car accident. I was really..really desperate for money and...I just sent my cheap droids out to rob them in their own home...to take money from their accounts...but they ended up killing them. I didn't realize how corrupt the virus or bug or whatever they had were and it made them into death machines...Leiko saw what had happened and instead of running, she actually tried to face them...I don't know what exactly took place during that fight but a fire began and she couldn't escape….her memories of that day have been wiped…"

"The car accident...the news reports…." Kusanagi looked down at the ground, "They were all lies...like false memories…just so you wouldn't get caught…" She narrowed her eyes and for the first time in a long while, she was furious. In half a second, she hit one of the droid's arms, causing it's gun to face it's partner before it reactively began to shoot, destroying the other machine. The Major then performed a flying back kick, sending the droid back flying into the water. Batou finished it off with a blow to the head. When he turned around, he saw his boss grabbing Mori by the collar and push her up against an old landline pole. She looked deep into the fearful woman's eyes and threatened, "Give me one good reason not to kill you…"

"I-I…" Mori began shaking her head, unable to compose herself.

A loud shot rang from inside the building. It sounded like it came from a sniper rifle so Batou assumed that it was Saito. The look on his face dropped when he saw the old butler, holding up a now smoking gun. He looked back at Kusanagi and saw her suddenly collapse to the side. She was shot in the vertebrae. To Mori's luck, the bullet did not go all the way through the Major's titanium body yet she was frozen in shock.

Batou immediately ran over to her to check on his partner. He looked back at the man and shouted, "Are you involved all of this too?!"

Nathaniel frowned and checked the ammunition in his gun.

"Nathaniel! You've come to rescue me!" Mori calls out in utter relief. She slowly walked towards him with trembling yet open arms.

"I was hoping the bullet would hit you too." He stated before directly shooting Mori in the forehead. She gave one agonal breath before falling backwards like a wooden plank and dying on the spot.

Batou was utterly confused when Nathaniel placed down his gun and took a seat on the steps of the building. He paid no mind to him afterwards and asked Kusanagi, "Are you okay?"

The Major was propping herself up with her arms and she commented, "I can't walk…"

"I'll carry you…" Batou offered as he took immediate action.

The rest of the Section 9 squad joined up with them and they looked grimey from fighting off all the other defected droids that had come to the area. They were stunned to see the Major being carried by the big cyborg and they asked if she was okay.

"Last time I checked...you weren't exactly the definition of _princess_ ," Saito joked in monotone.

Major gave him a look and informed, "Mori is dead...and we have Nathaniel to thank for it." She looked in the butler's direction as the men followed her eyes, "Check on the Kotara's and call in an ambulance to escort. I'll have a few of you wait on the boat that is supposed to arrive so you can take the captain in for questioning…Any questions?"

Ishikawa asked with a hint of sass, "You're not going to go back to the chief in this condition, will you?"

The Major looked down at her body before looking up at Batou. He gave her a small grin and she avoided looking at it any further before replying, "I suppose not...I'll take a visit to the mechanic. Now split."


	14. Chapter 14

The woman opened her eyes to a bright room and the sight of a robotic creature standing over her. It was not humanoid in shape by any means but it still spoke like one.

"Transfer complete, Ma'am," The robot mechanic spoke, "All available upgrades have been added. Do you require anything else?"

The Major lifted her leg and bent it a couple of times before trying the other one. Everything seemed functional. She shook her head, "Looks good to me."

"Wonderful! Also, you have some visitors."

"'Visitors'?" Kusanagi looked curious. Usually no one ever comes by to visit unless it was one of her girlfriends. She was partially correct as she saw Ran, Batou, and Leiko enter the room. Leiko had a smile on her face as she ran over to the Major's side.

"Major! You're okay!" The girl cried as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Of course I am...and I have my team to thank," Kusanagi rubbed her back before looking up at Batou, silently thanking him.

Batou crossed his arms proudly, "I made a promise that I intended to keep.."

Kusanagi gave a slight smile until she remembered, "Leiko, have you visited your caretakers yet?"

Leiko looked up at her and shook her head. She then lifted her wrist up and began to undo the Major's wristwatch, "I kept it safe for you!" Before handing it back.

Kusanagi was thankful for its return and she commented almost playfully, "Mission success."

Leiko giggled in response and felt very gratified by the two words.

Kusanagi then offered, "We can take you to your caretakers and from there, I can explain everything that's happened."

Batou added in response, "But _I'll_ be the one driving." He didn't want a rocky drive with the Major's new legs; she was already a questionable driver in the first place.

* * *

The hospital the Kotara's were staying in was, ironically, the one they work in. The outside and inside of their room was decorated with flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, get well cards, and paper cranes of all shapes and colors. They shared a room and were sitting up in their beds, chatting with one another as they were eating their meals. It was very apparent that they were malnourished after months of being held in Ms. Mori's basement but, despite all odds, they were on the road to recovery.

Their door opened and they immediately looked over at it in hope. Their eyes twinkled as almost cautiously entering the room first was Leiko. She did not expect to see them awake but when she did, she began to tear up.

"Mom...Dad…" She smiled happily as oily tears ran down her cheek.

"Our sweet girl! How we've missed you so much!" Mrs. Kotara warmly smiled back.

"We are so sorry for leaving you alone for so long…" Mr. Kotara was just as thankful to see their adopted daughter. Leiko embraced them each tightly and she no longer felt an empty space in her heart.

Kusanagi was leaning against the doorframe as she watched the family reunite. Batou was right behind her yet not wanting to be too nosy.

Leiko looked over at the Major and then motioned for her to come over to them.

Kusanagi tensed up a bit but she felt her cohort give her a little push from behind saying, "Don't be shy, Major.."

She gave him a stern look before relaxing her face for the caretakers.

"This is the Major! She gave me a place to stay and protected me. She's my hero~" Leiko cooed happily.

Mr. and Mrs. Kotara admired the woman and welcome her without hesitation. The mother spoke with utter kindness, "We thank you for all the work you have done for our family and especially for our Leiko...There was a point where my husband and I...were afraid we were not going to make it out alive...especially on the last day but...our prayers were answered..."

"We already feel at home," Mr. Kotara commented, "You never realize how much a person means to you until you no longer see them or hear them around...all we could think about was if our little girl was safe and...we are so glad that you helped."

Kusanagi was a bit flustered by all their graciousness and she gave a light bow, "It was an honor." She could not help but naturally become serious, "but before you both continue, I am required to tell you everything that has happened since you both have been absent."

Leiko wanted to hear what the conclusion was but at the corner of her eye, she could see Batou motioning her to join him. It was a sign that she should probably not be hearing this particular portion of the gettogether. The sound of the door closing was the indication for the Major to begin.

She told the Kotaras from what actually happened to Leiko and her parents, all the way up to Mori's intention for the caretakers' future. They listened carefully but were almost horrified to learn about all the new details. They felt a whole new level of pity for Leiko and they did not know when it was best to tell her all of this.

Kusanagi finally concluded, "Mori is now dead. Her butler, Nathaniel, shot her when we were about to take her into custody." She decided to exclude the tidbit of her getting shot by him as well.

"Nathaniel?" Mrs. Kotara looked at her husband in shock, "It seemed that he kept his word..."

"What exactly do you mean?" Kusanagi shook her head in confusion.

Mr. Kotara explained, "Nathaniel would sneak us food and other necessities for us when Mori wasn't looking...he actually helped us because, well...he _was_ us. He had been serving Mori for YEARS. He was kidnapped much like us and he was practically made a slave for her. He vowed that one day he would kill her…"

Kusanagi nodded and informed, "He is being taken to court for her murder...but if you could speak on his behalf as his witnesses, he may not get charged especially with all the evidence from this mission."

"We shall do that...He deserves his freedom. Not to be trapped in another prison…" Mrs. Kotara had empathy for the man.

Kusanagi nodded understandingly before lightly smiling, "Now...I'll let you both spend some time with Leiko…I'm sure she's eager to share all of her adventures with you." She turned to open the door.

"Major...Ma'am," Mr. Kotara tried to address her before she would leave. She looked back at him, awaiting his question. "Do you have any children of your own?"

She froze for a moment. This was a question that would easily be brushed off and answered with "no" but for some reason, in this very moment, the question was difficult. Her smile slightly twitched and she replied a bit quietly, "No...I don't."

"Well...when or _if_ you do...I wish you the best and that you will show as much strength and courage to them as you did with Leiko," Mrs. Kotara spoke from the heart, "I can see that she admires you...that is a look that my husband and I struggled to get from her since she first came into our lives. It is clear that you have impacted her and we cannot thank you enough."

Kusanagi looked at them with wide eyes and she did not know how to respond. She smiled and gave another bow to them saying, "It was beyond a pleasure…"

The moment she opened the door, Leiko immediately ran past her and was eager to talk to her caretakers. Kusanagi walked out into the hospital's empty hallway and held herself as she leaned against a wall. She was silent and she stared at the floor with unblinking eyes.

"You okay?" Batou asked, leaning against the wall opposite from hers.

"Yeah…"

"You sure?" He asked in disbelief.

Kusanagi tightened her hold, "A little…"

"Leiko is safe and finally back with her caretakers. Why the long face?"

"Because...it will all be ending soon…"

Batou had never seen Kusanagi get so attached, nonetheless to a child. He walked up to her and asked, "Do you need a hug?"

"No, I-"

He hugged her anyway.

Her first reaction would be to push him away but instead, she instinctively leaned against him. The hug was warm and his chest for comfortable. It was something she definitely needed in the moment.

* * *

The next day, Kusanagi drove Leiko back to Mori's mansion to get her belongings. The girl did not want to go at first but there were a few important items she needed to retrieve. The building was due to be torn down within the next few weeks once all the investigations were done and over with. The girl ran upstairs to her room and began to place some items in a large bag that Kurutan had given to her the day they went out shopping. Leiko packed her hairbrush, her crayons, her coloring books, and especially a small picture frame of her parents on their wedding day that she found in the bottom of the closet, hidden away from her aunt's sight.

Kusanagi was standing outside looking up at Leiko's bedroom window as she waited for her by the car. She was allowed to spend one more day with her until she had to be handed back over to the Kotaras. She had gotten to stay over at her safehouse last night and was able to recharge her systems as well as backup any recent memories. For once, she slept peacefully in the night.

As Leiko was about to meet the Major outside, she heard another female voice call her name. It was more high pitched than Kusanagi's and it sounded familiar. The girl stopped in her tracks and stood in one place as her head looked all about the room.

"Leiko~" The voice sang again.

The blue-haired girl walked slowly towards the sound. It was now clear that it was coming from the basement. She placed her bag on the floor and slowly opened the door, peeking inside. Darkness was all she saw below and she was afraid to go inside.

"H-hello?" She inquired. All she could hear was white noise and it sounded amplified as she tried her best to hear the voice again.

Out of the darkness sprang a corrupted gynoid. It was the same defected maid unit that Proto was unable to repair and it looked absolutely atrocious. Its silicon skin was peeling from its muscle fibers and half of its face was purely its titanium shell. It grabs the girl by the shoulders and she screams in terror before being flung down the stairs of the dark and cold underground room.

Kusanagi heard the scream and shouted, "Leiko!" She immediately ran inside. She spotted the bag of belongings in the middle of the kitchen floor and she calculated the girl's location from there. Before she could enter the basement, bright blue flashes of electricity could be seen and heard from inside. She practically dove in and was appalled to see the girl's convulsing body on the floor. The gynoid stood over the small cyborg with a long taser-like staff before having its attention drawn to woman. The Major was greatly worried yet she must get this unit out of the way first.

Kusanagi quickly whipped out her semiautomatic pistol and shot the gynoid directly in its exposed optic. The back of its head combusted before it fell back, hitting the ground hard enough to disturb items on top of shelves and tables nearby. Seeing that it was no longer functioning, she knelt down next to Leiko and scooped her up in her arms.

The convulsions had reduced to small tremors but the girl was unable to speak. Kusanagi had a pained look on her face and she said, "L-Leiko...speak to me...it's okay, I'm here."

The girl's eyes looked directly into the Major's and she looked like she was struggling to even process what had even happened. She had been injected with 200 Volts of electricity and her mechanical body was malfunctioning along with any human parts she still had.

Eventually, the tremors stopped and her eyes began to drift ahead of her. Her heart rate slowing every minute.

"No! Leiko please!" Kusanagi pleaded, "Don't do this to me! I can't lose you!"

Her own heart rate began to spike and it automatically notified one of Section 9's operators.

The brunette android appeared in the Major's visual field, "Our data indicates that you are under abnormal stress and is at risk of spontaneous shutdown. Shall we request any special services?"

"I'm requesting medical attention! Send immediately!" Kusanagi responded in desperation.

In contrast, the operator replied in its static fashion, "Requesting medical services to be sent to your location immediately."

Within 5 minutes, an air medical helicopter arrived in the large courtyard. Kusanagi carried the girl out to the chopper and requested Batou to come to the mansion to retrieve her car and Leiko's items that were left behind. He heard the distress in her voice and was on it without hesitation. The paramedics began doing all that they could to resuscitate the child. Any exterior actions were dealing no impact so they know they had to deal with the problem internally. The Major stared at the girl's seemingly lifeless face, hoping and maybe even praying that she would give some indication of movement.

Once the copter landed, the medics took her to the emergency room and Kusanagi's only job now, was to wait.


	15. Chapter 15

Disappointment and shame were the only two emotions the Major could feel at the moment. Disappointment because she failed to protect Leiko and shame because of the praise she did not deserve from the Kotaras. She already informed them of the situation and they were greatly worried. Though they did not blame Kusanagi for what happened, it did not stop her from doing so herself. She waited outside the emergency room for what seemed like hours and even Batou joined her in attempts to comfort her.

"I failed her, Batou…" She muttered, "I should have gone inside with her...I should have predicted that there would still be a gynoid in there...it's all my fault…"

Batou had never seen his companion beat herself up so much before. He cupped her face and looked into her optics, "It's gonna be okay...she's a tough kid and she will pull through…"

"But what if she-"

Suddenly, the door opened and she pulled away immediately. There stood one of the doctors in his white coat saying, "We have good news and we have some..inconvenient news…"

"Just tell me...I can't wait anymore…" She sighed in almost desperation.

"Leiko is alright. She had minor damage in her human parts but with some medications, we can help the tissue regrow," The doctor assured but then added, "However...because of the damage, she had lost some of her memories. We are not sure which ones she had lost but...only interaction will tell. Ready to see her?"

Kusanagi nodded silently.

The doctor stepped aside and held the door open for her. She walked in to see the girl resting in her bed. The woman scanned her body before focusing on her face. She looked so peaceful and without a single care in the world. Batou eventually entered and was relieved to see the girl in good condition.

After ten somber minutes, the girl's grey eyes opened up.

Kusanagi smiled and spoke softly as not to startle her, "Leiko…"

The girl looked up at Kusanagi and studied her for a few moments. She squinted her eyes before looking over at Batou. She looked back at the Major before finally asking in a shy voice, "Who are you?..."

Kusanagi felt her heart drop to her gut. She waited a few minutes, hoping that this was some little prank that Leiko was pulling.

It sank further as Leiko said with a slight look of fear, "Doctor...where are my caretakers?..."

"They will be here soon," The doctor assured the girl.

Kusanagi reached her hand out to the girl but she leaned away, not wanting to be touched by someone she now viewed as a stranger. The woman slowly retracted the hand and her throat felt tight. Batou frowned and turned away, seeing that he was no longer welcomed by the Tachi-Leiko.

The caretakers soon arrived as they were given permission to visit their daughter despite not being completely recovered. Leiko's expression changed as she reached her arms out to them saying, "Mom...Dad!" Kusanagi stepped back and looked at the floor as the interactions continued. They hugged and kissed her until she asked, "Who's that lady?"

The Kotaras looked surprised by the question before looking back over at the violet-haired maiden.

Mrs. Kotara began, "Leiko, don't you remember she's-"

"A friend from work…" Kusanagi intercepted the answer, she looked up at the caretakers.

They did not know what else to say before simply going along with the answer.

"Yes she...she found that you got hurt and brought you here…" Mr. Kotara lied. It was something he hated doing.

Kusanagi could not handle this anymore. She left the room and quickly walked past Batou.

"Motok-" Batou cut himself off as she saw her go into the restroom.

Kusanagi stood in front of the mirror and had her hands gripping the porcelain sink. Only small droplets of faucet water filled the room with sound. She stared at the rather filthy drain until looking up at her pathetic reflection. She was devastated to say the least. It felt like a nightmare. She focused so much on the fact that Leiko no longer had memories of her that she eventually began to turn around the concept. Perhaps this was for the best. She was never supposed to grow attached to the child in the first place so this was the opportunity to make a clean slate. Leiko no longer had to suffer the memories of her aunt or even of the recent attack. Yet what kept stabbing at the Major's internalized feelings were all the good memories they shared together in such a short period of time. She was conflicted between what was a part of public security regulations and what was in her heart. It seemed that her job, as always, won the vote.

Before she could even exit the bathroom, she was taken aback by the presence of Mrs. Kotara. She turned to face her and the older woman gazed at her with great sympathy.

"So that's it?" Mrs. Kotara shrugged.

Kusanagi stared at her silently.

"After all this time...you're just going to pretend that you never met her?" Mrs. Kotara seemed rather frustrated.

The Major shook her head, "What else can I do? It was never supposed to be this way…"

"But it was /made/ that way," The woman argued, "When you left yesterday and Leiko was alone with us, she told us how amazing the Major was and how She reminded her of her own blood mother...now that….that is something that took me /months/ to achieve and in fact...I'm not jealous at all! I'm just upset that...that you won't be a part of our lives anymore. You offered her something that we clearly could never provide; a protector and someone she could relate to. I was really, really hoping we could always be in contact with you; For her sake…"

Kusanagi parted her lips, only finding herself unable to speak. Instead, a single tear escaped her eye. She shook her head and even more tears escaped as she finally whispered, "I have to let her go...no matter how much it kills me…I have no choice…."

Mrs. Kotara now finally felt disappointment. She fiddled with her fingers and gave a nod, "If that is what you choose, Miss...then so be it…"

"I'm sorry...I truly am…"

Mrs. Kotara glanced up at Kusanagi and finalized, "It was an honor, knowing you...My husband and I will never forget all the good you have done for our family…" The woman left the restroom without another glance. Kusanagi was left alone with the sound of water droplets dripping from the faucet.

Kusanagi returned home and laid in bed for the remainder of the afternoon. She did not answer anyone's calls to the point that she had an unexpected visit from Kurutan. The young woman looked worried for her as she barged into her bedroom.

"Kusa!" Her girlfriend cried as she knelt down onto the bed next to her, "Kusa, you've had me worried sick! I tried calling you over and over...what happened?"

"If I had only treated her like any other child...it would not have hurt this badly…" Kusanagi replied quite meekly.

Kurutan frowned and tried to reason with her, "But she wasn't like any other child...she was like you and I know you cared for her greatly...I could see your eyes light up whenever she spoke to you." She gently began to stroke her violet hair, "This doesn't have to be the end.."

"You don't understand...she's lost virtually all of her memories of me…" She gave a shaken sigh, "Maybe...I should just do the same…"

Kurutan almost gasped and she rebuked, "No! You're not going to do that!"

Kusanagi looked back at her, a bit surprised by the outburst.

"Just because she can't remember you, doesn't mean you have to erase those memories yourself. You preserve them! Back them up! No one, not even a child, should ever be forgotten!"

Kurutan had a fair point but it suddenly sparked a realization in the cyborg's mind. She immediately got up from the bed and quickly left the room.

"Kusa? Kusa! Where are you going?" The young woman followed her. The Major went into the guest room that Leiko had resided in and booted up the power station.

"Did Leiko use this last night? And the nights before?" Major spoke as if conducting another investigation.

"Y-Yeah, I think so."

Kusanagi pulled a cord from her neck port and hooked it up to the machine. She accessed the system and instead of programming its sleep mode, she booted up the save files. She closed her eyes and there, she could see Leiko's memories from the girl's perspective. A few were missing in the very beginning since Leiko had not used the machine for the first few days yet as it progressed and she grew happier, the memories seemed more vivid and brighter. Kusanagi could not help but lightly smile at the scenes they shared and she failed to hold back a tear that stained her cheek once again. She fast-forward through everything until finally she reached yesterday's memories where they visited Leiko's caretakers and the child stated, _"This is the Major! She gave me a place to stay and protected me. She's my hero."_

There were very few memories of Ms. Mori and frankly it was best to keep it that way. She wanted Leiko to remember all the good that has happened and she definitely did not want her to relive the moments she was under that wicked woman's thumb. Kusanagi finally pulled the plug and extracted the microchips of memory from the machine.

The next day, the Kotaras were ready to take Leiko back home. They had a lot to catch up on when it came to both work and their daughter's schooling. Leiko was able to leave her hospital room and walk outside to their ride. They were suddenly stopped by the Major before they could even get into their escort vehicle.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kotara," The Major approached them as her long black coat gently swayed in the wind, "I have a parting gift for Leiko…"

The girl looked up at the woman and shyly pressed against her adopted mother as Kusanagi knelt down in front of her.

"Leiko...You may not remember me right now and that's okay, you don't have to...but there are so many memories and lessons that we've shared that I thought it was important for you to still keep," She opened up her hand and revealed the small green microchips to her, "Even if they don't mean anything, they can give you dreams."

Leiko's eyes lit up, "'Dreams'?" Ever since she had gotten her new body, she was always told that she could never dream again. The girl looked down at the gifts and slowly took them into her own hands. She looked up at Kusanagi and said quietly, "Thank you…"

Kusanagi smiled and watched at the girl stepped into the vehicle. Mrs. Kotara looked at the woman and smiled, "You changed your mind…"

"I could not deprive her of those memories. It would be wrong for me to do so." Kusanagi explained, "I do still think it would be best for us to be apart but...when the time is right, she and I will see each other again; face to face."

Mrs. Kotara smiled and looked at her husband whom also looked pleased. The two bowed to the Major. They enter the car and Leiko was getting her bag of knick-knacks in order as the chauffeur was starting the ignition. She pulled out her coloring book and quickly flipped through the pages, skimming to see all the things that she had not remembered coloring. The page of the prince and princess caught her eye as she noticed that the prince's hair was the same color as the Major's. She looked out the car window and watched as the mysterious maiden watch them from a distance. She flipped to an uncolored page and pulled out one of her crayons. She was about to press it down onto the page yet stopped herself as something reminded her to focus the energy into her wrist. She was able to color the heroine on the page without the tip of her crayon breaking.

As the car drove away into the setting sun, Batou walked up behind Kusanagi and asked, "This is how it all ends?"

"For now," She replied, her eyes not parting from the vehicle, "She and I must live our lives separately...I want to see the person that she becomes as a result of her own actions and not mine. Once she is ready, after reviewing all of those lost memories, I will be here."

"And when do you suppose that will be?"

"Only time will tell…"


End file.
